How might this transaction influence valuation multiples for WY relative to other timber and forest-product peers?

The Princeton mill was a relatively low‑margin, capital‑intensive operation that sat under Weyerhaeuser’s broader portfolio of higher‑yield timberlands and saw‑to‑market products. By stripping out that asset and the associated British‑Columbia land holdings, WY will see a near‑term boost to cash‑flow (the proceeds are being earmarked for debt reduction and selective growth‑capex) and a modest lift in operating margins. Because the sale trims enterprise value while leaving net‑income and EBITDA relatively intact, the company’s EV/EBITDA and EV/EBIT multiples are likely to compress upward (i.e., a higher multiple) versus peers that still carry comparable low‑margin processing assets. In a peer set dominated by companies such as West Fraser, Rayonier and Canfor, WY’s price‑to‑earnings (P/E) could drift toward the upper‑quartile range as investors price in a cleaner balance sheet and a more focused, higher‑return asset mix.

From a market‑technical perspective, WY’s stock has been trading in a tight range around the 200‑day moving average; the news catalyst has already nudged the price above that trend line, suggesting a potential breakout. If the multiple expansion is confirmed by an earnings beat in the next quarter (thanks to lower depreciation and interest expense), the stock could test the next resistance level around the 12‑month high, delivering a 2‑4% upside on a short‑to‑medium‑term trade. Conversely, any guidance that signals slower reinvestment of the cash or a downgrade in timber‑price outlook could cap the multiple lift and pull the share back into the 200‑day range. In practice, a buy‑on‑break‑above‑the‑200‑day with a stop just below the moving average, and a target of the next resistance (≈ 5‑6% upside), would capture the upside from the anticipated valuation‑multiple expansion while limiting downside if the market re‑prices the transaction’s benefits.