Axa S.A. Purchases 6,331 Shares of Wabtec $WAB

Axa S.A. boosted its holdings in shares of Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) by 9.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 69,991 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 6,331 shares during the period. Axa S.A.’s holdings in Wabtec were worth $14,653,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. PFS Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Wabtec by 70.4% in the 2nd quarter. PFS Partners LLC now owns 121 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Colonial Trust Advisors increased its position in shares of Wabtec by 454.5% in the second quarter. Colonial Trust Advisors now owns 122 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont raised its stake in Wabtec by 44.2% in the second quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 163 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. raised its stake in Wabtec by 30.2% in the second quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 207 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Wabtec during the second quarter valued at approximately $44,000. 91.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wabtec Price Performance

Shares of Wabtec stock opened at $217.57 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 0.75. Wabtec has a one year low of $151.81 and a one year high of $219.63. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $202.94 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $200.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $37.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.99.

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The transportation company reported $2.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.28 by $0.04. Wabtec had a net margin of 10.94% and a return on equity of 13.84%. The firm had revenue of $2.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.88 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.00 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. Wabtec has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.850-9.050 EPS. Analysts forecast that Wabtec will post 8.54 EPS for the current year.

Wabtec Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 12th were given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 12th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Wabtec’s payout ratio is presently 14.53%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Gregory Sbrocco sold 2,953 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $195.43, for a total transaction of $577,104.79. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 17,829 shares in the company, valued at $3,484,321.47. The trade was a 14.21% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Rogerio Mendonca sold 2,019 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $214.51, for a total value of $433,095.69. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,516 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,041,277.16. The trade was a 17.50% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 30,656 shares of company stock valued at $6,309,463. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on WAB. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Wabtec from $200.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on Wabtec in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $221.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America raised their price target on Wabtec from $228.00 to $233.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Wabtec in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on Wabtec from $225.00 to $245.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $226.78.

Wabtec Company Profile

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.