Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) Stock Rating Upgraded by Rothschild & Co Redburn

Key Points

• Rothschild & Co Redburn upgraded Wabtec to a "buy" and raised its price target to $285, implying ~14.6% upside, while the stock carries a consensus "Moderate Buy" and an average analyst target of $270.45.
• Wabtec beat expectations for the quarter (EPS $2.10 vs. $2.08; revenue $2.97B vs. $2.86B), provided FY2026 guidance of 10.050–10.450 EPS, and authorized a $1.20 billion share repurchase (about 2.9% of shares).
• Insiders have sold roughly 31,512 shares (~$8.16M) over the last three months even as institutional investors own about 91.7% of the stock and insiders retain 1.10%.

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Rothschild & Co Redburn from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a $285.00 price target on the transportation company's stock, up from their prior price target of $262.00. Rothschild & Co Redburn's target price would indicate a potential upside of 14.64% from the stock's previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on WAB. Susquehanna set a $300.00 target price on Wabtec in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Wabtec in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Wabtec from $258.00 to $283.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $315.00 price target on shares of Wabtec in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Stephens raised their price objective on shares of Wabtec from $230.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $270.45.

Wabtec Stock Up 1.2%

Wabtec stock opened at $248.61 on Thursday. Wabtec has a fifty-two week low of $151.81 and a fifty-two week high of $266.27. 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 has a 50 day moving average price of $245.21 and a 200 day moving average price of $218.98. The company has a market capitalization of $42.39 billion, a PE ratio of 36.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.99.

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The transportation company reported $2.10 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.02. Wabtec had a return on equity of 14.12% and a net margin of 10.48%.The company had revenue of $2.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.86 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.68 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 14.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Wabtec has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.050-10.450 EPS. Research analysts expect that Wabtec will post 8.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Wabtec declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, February 11th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.20 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the transportation company to buy up to 2.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often an indication that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Wabtec

In related news, insider Rogerio Mendonca sold 3,500 shares of Wabtec stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.21, for a total transaction of $924,735.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 10,101 shares in the company, valued at $2,668,785.21. This trade represents a 25.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Nalin Jain sold 7,936 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.09, for a total transaction of $2,095,818.24. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 6,364 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,680,668.76. This trade represents a 55.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 31,512 shares of company stock worth $8,160,028. Insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Wabtec

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Colonial Trust Advisors increased its position in Wabtec by 454.5% during the second quarter. Colonial Trust Advisors now owns 122 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Piscataqua Savings Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Wabtec by 12,800.0% in the third quarter. Piscataqua Savings Bank now owns 129 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares during the period. Motco grew its position in shares of Wabtec by 6,600.0% during the third quarter. Motco now owns 134 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Wabtec by 125.9% in the 4th quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 131 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the period. Finally, Manchester Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Wabtec by 122.0% in the 4th quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 131 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the period. 91.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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