Wabtec $WAB Shares Purchased by Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its stake in Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) by 6.2% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 101,594 shares of the transportation company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,967 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank’s holdings in Wabtec were worth $21,685,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAB. Guggenheim Capital LLC increased its position in Wabtec by 7.4% in the 2nd quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 4,938 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,034,000 after acquiring an additional 342 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia increased its position in Wabtec by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 17,890 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $3,745,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Nebula Research & Development LLC increased its position in Wabtec by 208.7% during the 2nd quarter. Nebula Research & Development LLC now owns 5,386 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,128,000 after purchasing an additional 3,641 shares during the period. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina increased its position in Wabtec by 11.6% during the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 92,097 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $19,281,000 after purchasing an additional 9,545 shares during the period. Finally, Ieq Capital LLC increased its position in Wabtec by 19.2% during the 2nd quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 30,352 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $6,354,000 after purchasing an additional 4,889 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.69% of the company’s stock.

Wabtec Price Performance

WAB stock opened at $257.78 on Wednesday. Wabtec has a 1 year low of $168.82 and a 1 year high of $275.84. 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 stock’s 50 day moving average price is $253.97 and its 200 day moving average price is $227.77. The firm has a market cap of $43.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.74, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.99.

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The transportation company reported $2.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.62 by $0.09. Wabtec had a return on equity of 14.12% and a net margin of 10.48%.The firm had revenue of $2.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.08 billion. Wabtec has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.250-10.650 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Wabtec will post 10.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wabtec Increases Dividend

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

Wabtec declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, February 11th that allows the company to repurchase $1.20 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the transportation company to repurchase up to 2.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have issued reports on WAB shares. Stephens boosted their target price on Wabtec from $230.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $315.00 target price on shares of Wabtec in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $290.00 target price (down from $300.00) on shares of Wabtec in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Wabtec from $290.00 to $280.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on Wabtec from $283.00 to $292.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $275.75.

Insider Transactions at Wabtec

In related news, EVP Gina Trombley sold 4,013 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.87, for a total value of $970,624.31. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 13,841 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,347,722.67. This represents a 22.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Rafael Santana sold 60,852 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 128,729 shares in the company, valued at approximately $34,613,940.81. The trade was a 32.10% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 92,364 shares of company stock worth $24,522,522 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.57% of the company’s stock.

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.