Insider Selling: Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) EVP Sells $246,025.36 in Stock

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) EVP Gregory Sbrocco sold 952 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was 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. This trade represents a 4.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Wabtec Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:WAB opened at $264.70 on Monday. Wabtec has a 52-week low of $151.81 and a 52-week high of $265.88. The stock has a market cap of $45.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.01. The business’s 50 day moving average is $231.02 and its 200 day moving average is $209.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) last issued its 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.86 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.68 EPS. Wabtec’s revenue was up 14.8% on a year-over-year basis. Wabtec has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.050-10.450 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Wabtec will post 8.54 EPS for the current year.

Wabtec announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase 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 stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Wabtec Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on WAB shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Wabtec in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. KeyCorp boosted their price target on Wabtec from $240.00 to $308.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Susquehanna set a $300.00 price objective on Wabtec in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Wabtec from $224.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Wolfe Research raised shares of Wabtec from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $245.00 price target for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $269.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wabtec

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Wabtec during the fourth quarter valued at about $409,039,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in Wabtec by 20.3% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 7,965,503 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,700,238,000 after purchasing an additional 1,344,744 shares during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its stake in Wabtec by 55.5% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 3,069,340 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $659,939,000 after purchasing an additional 1,095,083 shares in the last quarter. Farallon Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Wabtec by 68.6% in the third quarter. Farallon Capital Management LLC now owns 2,205,098 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $442,056,000 after buying an additional 896,900 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can lifted its stake in shares of Wabtec by 360.0% during the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 885,197 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $188,945,000 after buying an additional 692,773 shares during the period. 91.69% of the stock is currently 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.