At Westinghouse Air Brake, Albert J Neupaver Chooses To Exercise Options, Resulting In $2.59M

Disclosed in a recent SEC filing on May 2, Neupaver, Director at Westinghouse Air Brake WAB, made a noteworthy transaction involving the exercise of company stock options.

What Happened: Disclosed in a Form 4 filing on Thursday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Neupaver, Director at Westinghouse Air Brake, executed a strategic derivative sale. This involved exercising stock options for 29,100 shares of WAB, resulting in a transaction value of $2,591,905.

During Friday's morning session, Westinghouse Air Brake shares down by 0.0%, currently priced at $161.88. Considering the current price, Neupaver's 29,100 shares have a total value of $2,591,905.

Discovering Westinghouse Air Brake: A Closer Look

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp is a provider of value-added, technology-based products and services for the freight rail and passenger transit industries, and the mining, marine, and industrial markets. It provides its products and services through two main business segments, Freight and Transit. The company generates maximum revenue from the Freight segment which manufactures new and modernized locomotives, provides aftermarket parts and services to existing locomotives; provides components to new and existing freight cars; builds new commuter locomotives; supplies rail control and infrastructure products including electronics, positive train control equipment, signal design and engineering services. Geographically, it generates a majority of its revenue from the United States.

Westinghouse Air Brake: Financial Performance Dissected

Revenue Growth: Over the 3 months period, Westinghouse Air Brake showcased positive performance, achieving a revenue growth rate of 13.81% as of 31 March, 2024. This reflects a substantial increase in the company's top-line earnings. As compared to its peers, the company achieved a growth rate higher than the average among peers in Industrials sector.

Key Insights into Profitability Metrics:

• Gross Margin: Achieving a high gross margin of 32.64%, the company performs well in terms of cost management and profitability within its sector.

• Earnings per Share (EPS): The company excels with an EPS that surpasses the industry average. With a current EPS of 1.54, Westinghouse Air Brake showcases strong earnings per share.

Debt Management: Westinghouse Air Brake's debt-to-equity ratio is below the industry average at 0.38, reflecting a lower dependency on debt financing and a more conservative financial approach.

Understanding Financial Valuation:

• Price to Earnings (P/E) Ratio: A higher-than-average P/E ratio of 31.56 suggests caution, as the stock may be overvalued in the eyes of investors.

• Price to Sales (P/S) Ratio: The current P/S ratio of 2.9 is above industry norms, reflecting an elevated valuation for Westinghouse Air Brake's stock and potential overvaluation based on sales performance.

• EV/EBITDA Analysis (Enterprise Value to its Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation & Amortization): Westinghouse Air Brake's EV/EBITDA ratio of 16.65 exceeds industry averages, indicating a premium valuation in the market

Market Capitalization Analysis: The company's market capitalization surpasses industry averages, showcasing a dominant size relative to peers and suggesting a strong market position.

Now trade stocks online commission free with Charles Schwab, a trusted and complete investment firm.

Why Insider Transactions Are Important

In the complex landscape of investment decisions, investors should approach insider transactions as part of a comprehensive analysis, considering various elements.

In the realm of legality, an "insider" is defined as any officer, director, or beneficial owner holding more than ten percent of a company's equity securities under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. This includes executives in the c-suite and major hedge funds. These insiders are required to disclose their transactions through a Form 4 filing, to be submitted within two business days of the transaction.

Notably, when a company insider makes a new purchase, it is considered an indicator of their positive expectations for the stock.

Conversely, insider sells may not necessarily signal a bearish stance on the stock and can be motivated by various factors.

The Insider's Guide to Important Transaction Codes

When it comes to transactions, investors tend to focus on those in the open market, detailed in Table I of the Form 4 filing. A P in Box 3 denotes a purchase, while S indicates a sale. Transaction code C signals the conversion of an option, and transaction code A denotes a grant, award, or other acquisition of securities from the company.

Check Out The Full List Of Westinghouse Air Brake's Insider Trades.

This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.