Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) Short Interest Update

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 1,852,504 shares, a decrease of 19.0% from the February 26th total of 2,287,421 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 916,528 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.0 days. Currently, 1.1% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Wabtec Price Performance

NYSE:WAB traded down $2.92 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $238.19. 160,111 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 831,585. The business has a 50 day moving average of $245.78 and a 200 day moving average of $219.93. Wabtec has a 1-year low of $151.81 and a 1-year high of $266.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.57. The company has a market capitalization of $40.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.88, a P/E/G ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.99.

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) last announced 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 firm had revenue of $2.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.86 billion. Wabtec had a return on equity of 14.12% and a net margin of 10.48%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 14.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.68 EPS. Wabtec has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.050-10.450 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Wabtec will post 8.54 EPS for the current year.

Wabtec Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were paid a dividend of $0.31 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. This is a positive change from Wabtec’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Wabtec’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.16%.

Wabtec announced that its board has initiated a stock buyback program on Wednesday, February 11th that permits the company to buyback $1.20 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the transportation company to reacquire up to 2.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other Wabtec news, EVP Gina Trombley sold 4,013 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $241.87, for a total value of $970,624.31. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 13,841 shares in the company, valued at $3,347,722.67. This trade represents a 22.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO John A. Olin sold 11,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.30, for a total transaction of $2,896,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 60,487 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,926,227.10. The trade was a 15.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 31,512 shares of company stock valued at $8,160,028. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wabtec

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Piscataqua Savings Bank increased its stake in shares of Wabtec by 12,800.0% in the 3rd quarter. Piscataqua Savings Bank now owns 129 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares during the last quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd boosted its stake in Wabtec by 125.9% in the fourth quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 131 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Wabtec by 122.0% in the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 131 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Motco grew its position in Wabtec by 6,600.0% in the third quarter. Motco now owns 134 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Finally, McMillan Office Inc. bought a new position in Wabtec in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. 91.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Wabtec from $215.00 to $245.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Citigroup boosted their price target on Wabtec from $258.00 to $283.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Wabtec from $224.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Wolfe Research raised Wabtec from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $245.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Wabtec from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $270.45.

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.