Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) Short Interest Update

by · The Markets Daily

Wabtec (NYSE:WABGet Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 2,207,643 shares, a growth of 19.2% from the March 15th total of 1,852,504 shares. Currently, 1.3% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 826,410 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.7 days.

Wabtec Stock Performance

NYSE:WAB traded up $8.21 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $263.71. The stock had a trading volume of 972,650 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,039,007. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $253.34 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $226.52. Wabtec has a 12-month low of $165.17 and a 12-month high of $275.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The stock has a market cap of $44.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.61, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.99.

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

Wabtec Increases Dividend

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

Wabtec announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, February 11th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.20 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the transportation company to purchase up to 2.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Rafael Santana sold 60,852 shares of Wabtec stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.89, for a total value of $16,362,494.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 128,729 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $34,613,940.81. The trade was a 32.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Nalin Jain sold 7,936 shares of Wabtec 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 transaction, the insider directly owned 6,364 shares in the company, valued at $1,680,668.76. The trade was a 55.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 92,364 shares of company stock worth $24,522,522. Corporate insiders own 0.57% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wabtec

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Hilltop Holdings Inc. boosted its position in shares of Wabtec by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. now owns 1,069 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $228,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. CI Investments Inc. boosted its position in shares of Wabtec by 6.1% in the 3rd quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 865 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $173,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Wabtec by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,856 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,037,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel increased its holdings in Wabtec by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 2,051 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $438,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its holdings in Wabtec by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 4,082 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $818,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. 91.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised shares of Wabtec from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $262.00 to $285.00 in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Wolfe Research raised shares of Wabtec from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $245.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Wabtec from $290.00 to $280.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Wabtec from $224.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Wabtec from $283.00 to $292.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Wabtec currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $275.75.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Wabtec

Wabtec Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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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