Martin Investment Management LLC Decreases Stake in Wabtec $WAB

Martin Investment Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) by 5.3% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 41,076 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 2,277 shares during the period. Wabtec accounts for about 2.3% of Martin Investment Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 13th largest holding. Martin Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Wabtec were worth $8,768,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co boosted its stake in Wabtec by 9.1% during the third quarter. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 47,924 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $9,607,000 after buying an additional 4,000 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in shares of Wabtec by 809.6% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 152,297 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $32,508,000 after acquiring an additional 135,553 shares during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its holdings in shares of Wabtec by 55.5% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 3,069,340 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $659,939,000 after purchasing an additional 1,095,083 shares during the period. 111 Capital acquired a new stake in Wabtec during the third quarter worth about $949,000. Finally, Alberta Investment Management Corp purchased a new position in Wabtec during the third quarter worth about $842,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.69% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Wabtec news, CEO Rafael Santana sold 1,163 shares of Wabtec stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.77, for a total transaction of $306,764.51. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 127,566 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $33,648,083.82. The trade was a 0.90% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Gina Trombley sold 4,013 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.87, for a total value of $970,624.31. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 13,841 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,347,722.67. This represents a 22.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 67,191 shares of company stock worth $17,922,608. 0.57% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wabtec Stock Down 1.9%

Shares of NYSE:WAB opened at $256.23 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Wabtec has a fifty-two week low of $184.26 and a fifty-two week high of $275.84. The stock has a market cap of $43.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.94. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $259.47 and its 200 day moving average price is $239.86.

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The transportation company reported $2.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.62 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $2.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.08 billion. Wabtec had a net margin of 10.52% and a return on equity of 14.52%. The company’s revenue was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.28 EPS. Wabtec has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.250-10.650 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Wabtec will post 10.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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

Wabtec Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 22nd will be paid a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Wabtec’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 17.54%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on WAB. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Wabtec in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $303.00 target price on shares of Wabtec in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Wall Street Zen lowered Wabtec from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 14th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $290.00 price target (down from $300.00) on shares of Wabtec in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Susquehanna reissued a “positive” rating and set a $305.00 price objective on shares of Wabtec in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $289.82.

Wabtec 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.