Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) Hits New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $270.00 and last traded at $266.3350, with a volume of 112855 shares. The stock had previously closed at $256.05.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on WAB shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Wabtec from $224.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Wabtec from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $245.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $290.00 price objective (down from $300.00) on shares of Wabtec in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Wabtec from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. Finally, Susquehanna set a $300.00 price objective on shares of Wabtec in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Wabtec presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $272.08.

Wabtec Trading Up 3.8%

The company has a market cap of $45.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.91, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.99. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $248.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $223.03. 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 results on Wednesday, February 11th. The transportation company reported $2.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 14.12%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 14.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.68 earnings per share. Wabtec has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.050-10.450 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Wabtec will post 8.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wabtec Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were paid a dividend of $0.31 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. This is a boost from Wabtec’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. Wabtec’s dividend payout ratio is 18.16%.

Wabtec declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Wednesday, February 11th that allows the company to buyback $1.20 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the transportation company to reacquire up to 2.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Wabtec

In other news, EVP Gina Trombley sold 4,013 shares of Wabtec stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.87, for a total transaction of $970,624.31. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 13,841 shares in the company, valued at $3,347,722.67. This trade represents a 22.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Rogerio Mendonca sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.21, for a total transaction of $924,735.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 10,101 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,668,785.21. This trade represents a 25.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 31,512 shares of company stock worth $8,160,028. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Wabtec

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its stake in shares of Wabtec by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 17,987 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $3,839,000 after purchasing an additional 771 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors increased its stake in shares of Wabtec by 14.3% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 7,336 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,566,000 after purchasing an additional 915 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of Wabtec by 17.6% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 13,163 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,813,000 after purchasing an additional 1,967 shares in the last quarter. OCONNOR A Distinct Business Unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Wabtec in the fourth quarter worth $2,134,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Wabtec in the fourth quarter worth $70,000. 91.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.