Wall Street Zen Downgrades Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) to Hold

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) was downgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Sunday.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $315.00 target price on shares of Wabtec in a research note on Tuesday. Susquehanna set a $300.00 price target on shares of Wabtec in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Wabtec from $258.00 to $283.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Wabtec in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price 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. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Wabtec currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $269.00.

Wabtec Stock Performance

NYSE WAB opened at $264.70 on Friday. Wabtec has a 52-week low of $151.81 and a 52-week high of $265.88. The company has a fifty day moving average of $231.02 and a 200-day moving average of $209.79. The company has a market capitalization of $45.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.76, 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 quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 1.11.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.02. Wabtec had a return on equity of 14.12% and a net margin of 10.48%.The business had revenue of $2.97 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.86 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.68 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.8% on a year-over-year basis. 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 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wabtec declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan 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 plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Rafael Santana sold 1,798 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $245.71, for a total value of $441,786.58. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 118,749 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $29,177,816.79. This trade represents a 1.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Gregory Sbrocco sold 952 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $258.43, for a total transaction of $246,025.36. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 21,159 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,468,120.37. The trade was a 4.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 16,625 shares of company stock worth $3,666,601. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wabtec

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Colonial Trust Advisors raised its stake in 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 buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Piscataqua Savings Bank lifted its stake in shares of Wabtec by 12,800.0% in the 3rd quarter. Piscataqua Savings Bank now owns 129 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares during the period. Motco boosted its position in shares of Wabtec by 6,600.0% during the third quarter. Motco now owns 134 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd grew its stake in Wabtec by 125.9% in the fourth quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 131 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the period. Finally, Manchester Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Wabtec by 122.0% in the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 131 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 91.69% of the company’s stock.

About Wabtec

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.