Aviva PLC Purchases 13,458 Shares of Wabtec $WAB

Key Points

• Aviva PLC boosted its Wabtec stake by 1.4% in the fourth quarter, adding 13,458 shares to bring its total holding to 971,941 shares worth about $207.5 million.
• Wabtec reported stronger-than-expected earnings of $2.71 per share for the quarter, topping analyst estimates, while revenue rose 13% year over year to $2.95 billion even though it came in below consensus.
• Insider selling and analyst optimism were both notable: CEO Rafael Santana sold 60,852 shares under a pre-arranged trading plan, while analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” view with an average target price of $289.82.

Aviva PLC increased its position in shares of Wabtec (NYSE:WAB - Free Report) by 1.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 971,941 shares of the transportation company's stock after acquiring an additional 13,458 shares during the quarter. Aviva PLC owned about 0.57% of Wabtec worth $207,461,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Investment Research Partners LLC raised its holdings in Wabtec by 16.3% during the 4th quarter. Investment Research Partners LLC now owns 1,255 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $268,000 after buying an additional 176 shares during the period. Xponance LLC raised its holdings in Wabtec by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Xponance LLC now owns 29,015 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $6,193,000 after buying an additional 461 shares during the period. SmartHarvest Portfolios LLC acquired a new stake in Wabtec during the 4th quarter worth approximately $223,000. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. raised its holdings in Wabtec by 61.0% during the 4th quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 2,433 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $519,000 after buying an additional 922 shares during the period. Finally, Inceptionr LLC acquired a new stake in Wabtec during the 4th quarter worth approximately $721,000. 91.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Wabtec

In related news, CEO Rafael Santana sold 60,852 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.89, for a total value of $16,362,494.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 128,729 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $34,613,940.81. This trade represents a 32.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 64,341 shares of company stock valued at $17,277,171 over the last three months. 0.57% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wabtec Price Performance

NYSE WAB opened at $262.07 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Wabtec has a 12-month low of $184.26 and a 12-month high of $275.84. The company has a market capitalization of $44.47 billion, a PE ratio of 37.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.94. The firm's 50 day moving average is $262.46 and its 200-day moving average is $243.28.

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The transportation company reported $2.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 the consensus estimate of $3.08 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.28 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Wabtec has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.250-10.650 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Wabtec will post 10.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wabtec Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd were paid a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Wabtec's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 17.54%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have commented on WAB. Susquehanna restated a "positive" rating and set a $305.00 target price on shares of Wabtec in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Wabtec from $283.00 to $292.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Wabtec in a report on Monday, April 20th. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on shares of Wabtec from $240.00 to $308.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Stephens lifted their price objective on shares of Wabtec from $230.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $289.82.

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.

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