Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) Sets New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB)’s share price reached a new 52-week high on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $223.05 and last traded at $222.18, with a volume of 251375 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $216.62.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WAB has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wolfe Research upgraded Wabtec from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $245.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Wabtec in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Bank of America increased their target price on Wabtec from $228.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Wabtec from $221.00 to $224.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Susquehanna increased their price target on shares of Wabtec from $235.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Wabtec currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $230.20.

Wabtec Stock Up 0.9%

The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $211.22 and a 200-day simple moving average of $202.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 1.42. The company has a market cap of $38.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.00.

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The transportation company reported $2.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.28 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $2.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.88 billion. Wabtec had a return on equity of 13.84% and a net margin of 10.94%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.00 earnings per share. Wabtec has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.850-9.050 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Wabtec will post 8.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wabtec Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 12th were issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 12th. Wabtec’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.53%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO John A. Mastalerz, Jr. sold 2,766 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $210.00, for a total value of $580,860.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 5,286 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,110,060. This represents a 34.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP David L. Deninno sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $214.62, for a total value of $1,073,100.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 50,450 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,827,579. This represents a 9.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 35,714 shares of company stock valued at $7,441,102. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wabtec

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAB. PFS Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Wabtec by 70.4% in the 2nd quarter. PFS Partners LLC now owns 121 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Colonial Trust Advisors lifted its position in Wabtec by 454.5% in the second quarter. Colonial Trust Advisors now owns 122 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Piscataqua Savings Bank lifted its position in 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 last quarter. Motco boosted its stake 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC grew its holdings in shares of Wabtec by 370.6% during the third quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 160 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares during the last quarter. 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.