Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Wabtec has received a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from analysts, with a mix of buy and hold ratings influencing the average twelve-month target price of $222.57.
• The company reported quarterly earnings exceeding expectations, with an EPS of $2.27, and raised its fiscal year 2025 guidance to an EPS range of $8.55 - $9.15.
• Recent insider trading activity includes CEO Rafael Santana selling 886 shares, while institutional ownership of Wabtec stands at approximately 91.69% of its stock, indicating strong institutional support.

Shares of Wabtec (NYSE:WAB - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the seven analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $222.5714.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on WAB shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Wabtec from $216.00 to $200.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 14th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Wabtec from $231.00 to $236.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Wabtec from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. Susquehanna raised their price target on shares of Wabtec from $210.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a report on Friday, July 25th. Finally, KeyCorp restated an "overweight" rating and set a $240.00 price target (up previously from $220.00) on shares of Wabtec in a report on Tuesday, June 24th.

Wabtec Trading Down 1.7%

Wabtec stock opened at $188.86 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $197.42 and a 200 day moving average price of $192.66. Wabtec has a 52 week low of $151.81 and a 52 week high of $216.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a current ratio of 1.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.11.

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The transportation company reported $2.27 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.18 by $0.09. Wabtec had a net margin of 10.92% and a return on equity of 13.65%. The firm had revenue of $2.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.76 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.96 EPS. The company's revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. Wabtec has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.550-9.150 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Wabtec will post 8.54 EPS for the current year.

Wabtec Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 14th were issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 14th. Wabtec's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 14.93%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Rafael Santana sold 886 shares of Wabtec stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $192.83, for a total value of $170,847.38. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 139,414 shares in the company, valued at $26,883,201.62. This trade represents a 0.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,658 shares of company stock valued at $538,165. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Wabtec

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in Wabtec by 10.1% in the second quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,791 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $375,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares during the period. Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its position in Wabtec by 86.7% in the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 14,449 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $2,823,000 after buying an additional 6,709 shares in the last quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC boosted its position in Wabtec by 68.3% in the second quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 7,213 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,510,000 after buying an additional 2,927 shares in the last quarter. MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH acquired a new position in Wabtec in the second quarter valued at about $669,000. Finally, Neuberger Berman Group LLC boosted its position in Wabtec by 5.2% in the second quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 229,233 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $47,990,000 after buying an additional 11,406 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 91.69% of the company's stock.

About Wabtec

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides technology-based locomotives, equipment, systems, and services for the freight rail and passenger transit industries worldwide. It offers diesel-electric, battery, and liquid natural gas-powered locomotives; engines, electric motors, and propulsion systems; and marine and mining products.

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