Gregory Sbrocco Sells 952 Shares of Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) Stock

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) EVP Gregory Sbrocco sold 952 shares of Wabtec stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $258.43, for a total value of $246,025.36. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 21,159 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,468,120.37. The trade was a 4.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Wabtec Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of Wabtec stock traded up $2.36 on Friday, reaching $264.24. 587,193 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 834,948. The company has a market capitalization of $45.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.01. Wabtec has a 52 week low of $151.81 and a 52 week high of $265.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 1.11. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $230.02 and its two-hundred day moving average is $209.11.

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The transportation company reported $2.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $2.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.86 billion. Wabtec had a net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 14.12%. Wabtec’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.68 EPS. 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 fiscal year.

Wabtec Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be paid a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. This is a boost from Wabtec’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. Wabtec’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.16%.

Wabtec announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Wednesday, February 11th that permits the company to repurchase $1.20 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the transportation company to buy up to 2.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Wabtec from $228.00 to $233.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $315.00 price objective on shares of Wabtec in a research note on Tuesday. Susquehanna set a $300.00 price objective on shares of Wabtec in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Wolfe Research raised shares of Wabtec from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $245.00 target price for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Wabtec in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Wabtec presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $269.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Wabtec in the 4th quarter worth about $409,039,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in shares of Wabtec by 20.3% in 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 buying an additional 1,344,744 shares during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its holdings in shares of Wabtec by 55.5% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 3,069,340 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $659,939,000 after acquiring an additional 1,095,083 shares in the last quarter. Farallon Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Wabtec by 68.6% during the third quarter. Farallon Capital Management LLC now owns 2,205,098 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $442,056,000 after acquiring an additional 896,900 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can lifted its holdings in 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 acquiring 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.