Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) Upgraded to Strong-Buy at Stephens

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) was upgraded by equities researchers at Stephens to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on WAB. Wall Street Zen downgraded Wabtec from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $318.00 price target on shares of Wabtec in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Wabtec from $283.00 to $292.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Wabtec from $270.00 to $284.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, Susquehanna reissued a “positive” rating and issued a $305.00 target price on shares of Wabtec in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $289.82.

Wabtec Stock Performance

NYSE WAB opened at $259.14 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The company has a market capitalization of $43.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.65, a P/E/G ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.94. Wabtec has a 12-month low of $184.26 and a 12-month high of $284.91. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $264.92 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $250.99.

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The transportation company reported $2.71 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.62 by $0.09. Wabtec had a net margin of 10.52% and a return on equity of 14.52%. The company had revenue of $2.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.08 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.28 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. Wabtec has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.250-10.650 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Wabtec will post 10.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Rafael Santana sold 1,163 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $262.07, for a total value of $304,787.41. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 122,914 shares in the company, valued at $32,212,071.98. This trade represents a 0.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Sameer Gaur sold 1,082 shares of Wabtec stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.50, for a total transaction of $285,107.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 11,985 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,158,047.50. This represents a 8.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 66,586 shares of company stock worth $17,867,065. Company insiders own 0.57% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wabtec

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Wabtec by 9.1% during the second quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,901 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $513,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the period. Czech National Bank increased its holdings in Wabtec by 4.0% in the second quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 48,297 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $13,021,000 after purchasing an additional 1,857 shares during the period. Bill Few Associates Inc. increased its holdings in Wabtec by 15.5% in the second quarter. Bill Few Associates Inc. now owns 2,725 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $735,000 after purchasing an additional 365 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Wabtec by 5.7% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,160 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,391,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CoreCap Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Wabtec by 25.9% during the 2nd quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 321 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $86,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the period. 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.