Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Co. (NYSE:WAB) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Co. (NYSE:WAB) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seven analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $201.86.

A number of research analysts have commented on WAB shares. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $220.00 price target on shares of Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Bank of America raised their price target on Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies from $225.00 to $226.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $175.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 3rd.

Insider Buying and Selling at Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies

In other news, CEO Rafael Santana sold 886 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.34, for a total value of $161,553.24. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 176,295 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $32,145,630.30. This represents a 0.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rhumbline Advisers raised its holdings in Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies by 3.0% in the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 313,459 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $56,846,000 after buying an additional 9,041 shares during the last quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC purchased a new position in Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $24,630,000. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new position in Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $22,509,000. AGF Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at $10,566,000. Finally, DnB Asset Management AS increased its holdings in shares of Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. DnB Asset Management AS now owns 48,101 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $9,119,000 after purchasing an additional 414 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 91.69% of the company’s stock.

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Price Performance

WAB opened at $171.05 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 0.69. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $180.43 and its 200 day simple moving average is $190.51. The firm has a market cap of $29.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.37, a PEG ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.14. Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies has a 1 year low of $143.22 and a 1 year high of $210.88.

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (NYSE:WAB) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The transportation company reported $1.68 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.74 by ($0.06). Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies had a return on equity of 12.78% and a net margin of 10.17%. As a group, analysts predict that Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies will post 8.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 21st. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.58%. This is a positive change from Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies’s payout ratio is presently 16.58%.

About Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides technology-based locomotives, equipment, systems, and services for the freight rail and passenger transit industries worldwide. It offers diesel-electric, battery, and liquid natural gas-powered locomotives; engines, electric motors, and propulsion systems; and marine and mining products.