Short Interest in Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) Expands By 27.8%

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 2,287,421 shares, an increase of 27.8% from the February 12th total of 1,789,915 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 925,798 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.5 days. Approximately 1.4% of the shares of the company are short sold. Approximately 1.4% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 925,798 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.5 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WAB has been the subject of several research reports. Stephens lifted 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. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Wabtec from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Wabtec in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. KeyCorp increased their price target on Wabtec from $240.00 to $308.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, Susquehanna set a $300.00 price objective on Wabtec in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $269.00.

Wabtec Price Performance

NYSE WAB traded up $2.54 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $241.74. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 20,637 shares, compared to its average volume of 830,877. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.99. The company’s 50-day moving average is $242.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $216.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.57. Wabtec has a 1-year low of $151.81 and a 1-year high of $266.27.

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The transportation company reported $2.10 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $2.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.86 billion. Wabtec had a return on equity of 14.12% and a net margin of 10.48%.Wabtec’s quarterly revenue was up 14.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.68 earnings per share. Wabtec has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.050-10.450 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Wabtec will post 8.54 EPS for the current year.

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

Wabtec Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were given a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. This is a positive change from Wabtec’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. Wabtec’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.16%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Wabtec

In other Wabtec news, CEO Rafael Santana sold 1,163 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $243.10, for a total transaction of $282,725.30. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 190,744 shares in the company, valued at approximately $46,369,866.40. The trade was a 0.61% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Sameer Gaur sold 1,150 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $262.62, for a total value of $302,013.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 12,017 shares in the company, valued at $3,155,904.54. This represents a 8.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 33,310 shares of company stock worth $8,541,509. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Wabtec

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WAB. Colonial Trust Advisors raised its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Piscataqua Savings Bank lifted its stake in Wabtec by 12,800.0% in the 3rd quarter. Piscataqua Savings Bank now owns 129 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Motco boosted its holdings in shares of Wabtec by 6,600.0% during the 3rd quarter. Motco now owns 134 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Wabtec by 125.9% during the 4th quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 131 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Manchester Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. 91.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.