Insider Selling: Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) CEO Sells 1,163 Shares of Stock

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) CEO Rafael Santana sold 1,163 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $243.10, for a total value of $282,725.30. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 190,744 shares in the company, valued at approximately $46,369,866.40. This represents a 0.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Rafael Santana also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, February 10th, Rafael Santana sold 1,798 shares of Wabtec stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $245.71, for a total transaction of $441,786.58.
• On Wednesday, December 17th, Rafael Santana sold 1,798 shares of Wabtec stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.17, for a total transaction of $381,481.66.

Wabtec Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:WAB traded down $0.81 on Wednesday, reaching $245.94. 578,125 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 853,260. The business’s 50-day moving average is $240.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $215.52. 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 has a fifty-two week low of $151.81 and a fifty-two week high of $266.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.01, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.99.

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The transportation company reported $2.10 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.02. Wabtec had a net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 14.12%. 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 business posted $1.68 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue 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 forecast that Wabtec will post 8.54 EPS for the current year.

Wabtec Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were paid a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. This is an increase from Wabtec’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Wabtec’s payout ratio is presently 18.16%.

Wabtec declared that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, February 11th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.20 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the transportation company to purchase up to 2.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wabtec

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Varenne Capital Partners grew its position in Wabtec by 39.5% in the 2nd quarter. Varenne Capital Partners now owns 277,078 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $58,006,000 after buying an additional 78,394 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in shares of Wabtec by 240.8% in the 2nd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 15,924 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $3,334,000 after acquiring an additional 11,252 shares during the period. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co boosted its holdings in shares of Wabtec by 9.1% in the third quarter. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 47,924 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $9,607,000 after acquiring an additional 4,000 shares in the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of Wabtec in the second quarter valued at approximately $9,371,000. Finally, Mediolanum International Funds Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Wabtec during the second quarter valued at approximately $8,201,000. 91.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WAB has been the topic of several recent research reports. Citigroup raised their price target on Wabtec from $258.00 to $283.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Wabtec from $215.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Wabtec from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. 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 report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $315.00 price target on shares of Wabtec in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $269.00.

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.