Westlake Corporation’s WLK unit, Westlake Royal Building Products, has introduced a new Reversible Nickel Gap/V-Groove profile to its Kleer cellular PVC trim line. This product features a tongue-and-groove joint that simplifies installation, vertically or horizontally, by creating the nickel gap on one side and the V-groove on the other, making it suitable for modern and traditional home styles.

The new Nickel Gap/V-Groove profile is made to be waterproof, termite resistant and low maintenance, like all other products in the Kleer cellular PVC lineup. The planks measure ¾” by 5-1/2” and 18” in length and come in white or can be painted on site. This profile offers durability while also keeping in mind the aesthetics and looks demanded by homeowners. It can be used both in creating durable interior accent walls as well as exterior soffits and porch ceilings.

WLK, on its fourth-quarter call, said that it is optimistic about the outlook for its Housing and Infrastructure Products segment, which is supported by the need to boost the supply of residential housing in the United States after more than 15 years of underbuilding to support population growth and subsequent housing demand.

While global macroeconomic conditions remain tough to begin the year, the Performance and Essential Materials segment is well-positioned to benefit from a future resurgence in global industrial and manufacturing activity. The company's focus for 2025 will be on improving the components of earnings growth that it can control, such as carrying out cost-cutting plans, increasing the value it provides to its customers, ensuring the safety and reliability of its plants and commercializing new product innovations.

Westlake Corp. Price and Consensus

Westlake Corp. price-consensus-chart | Westlake Corp. Quote

WLK’s Zacks Rank and Key Picks

WLK currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

Some better-ranked stocks in the Basic Materials space are Ingevity Corporation NGVT, Carpenter Technology Corporation CRS and ArcelorMittal MT. While NGVT sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present, CRS and MT carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) each. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Ingevity’s current-year earnings is pegged at $4.45 per share. NGVT beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, with the average earnings surprise being 202.9%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Carpenter Technology’s current fiscal-year earnings is pegged at $6.95 per share. CRS beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average earnings surprise being 15.7%. Its shares have soared 211.7% in the past year.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ArcelorMittal’s current-year earnings is pegged at $3.72 per share. MT surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters but missed it in one, with an average earnings surprise of 4.11%.

 

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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