Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) Reaches New 1-Year High – Time to Buy?

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $266.06 and last traded at $263.4740, with a volume of 101855 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $262.93.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on WAB shares. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Wabtec from $228.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Wabtec from $215.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Susquehanna set a $300.00 target price on shares of Wabtec in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Wolfe Research upgraded Wabtec from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $245.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on Wabtec from $258.00 to $283.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $269.00.

Wabtec Stock Up 0.3%

The business has a 50-day moving average of $233.99 and a 200 day moving average of $211.35. The company has a market capitalization of $44.94 billion, a PE ratio of 38.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.57.

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The transportation company reported $2.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $2.97 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.86 billion. Wabtec had a return on equity of 14.12% and a net margin of 10.48%.The company’s revenue was up 14.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.68 EPS. Wabtec has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.050-10.450 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Wabtec will post 8.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Wabtec Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be issued a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. This is a positive change from Wabtec’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. Wabtec’s payout ratio is 18.16%.

Wabtec declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Wednesday, February 11th that allows the company to repurchase $1.20 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the transportation company to buy up to 2.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Wabtec

In other news, EVP Gregory Sbrocco sold 952 shares of Wabtec stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $258.43, for a total value of $246,025.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 21,159 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,468,120.37. The trade was a 4.31% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Rogerio Mendonca sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.21, for a total value of $924,735.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 10,101 shares in the company, valued at $2,668,785.21. The trade was a 25.73% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 39,061 shares of company stock valued at $9,583,454 over the last ninety days. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wabtec

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Hilltop Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in Wabtec by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. now owns 1,069 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $228,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. CI Investments Inc. grew its stake in shares of Wabtec by 6.1% during the third quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 865 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $173,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Wabtec by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,856 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,037,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Carnegie Investment Counsel lifted its stake in shares of Wabtec by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 2,051 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $438,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its holdings in Wabtec by 7.3% during the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 797 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $167,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.69% of the company’s stock.

Wabtec Company Profile

Wabtec Corporation (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation) is a global provider of equipment, systems and services for the rail industry. The company supplies products and solutions to freight railroads, transit agencies and other industrial operators, focusing on technologies that improve the performance, safety and efficiency of locomotives and rail networks. Wabtec’s business spans new equipment manufacturing, aftermarket parts and services, and digital and control systems for rail operations.

Product and service offerings include locomotive systems and components, braking and air systems, propulsion and traction equipment, signaling and control technologies, and a range of aftermarket services such as maintenance, remanufacturing, parts distribution and fleet modernization.