Shares of Pittsburgh, PA-based company Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation, operating as Wabtec Corporation WAB, have been benefiting from its consistent shareholder-friendly initiatives, as well as strength across its Freight and Transit segments. Bullish full-year 2024 earnings guidance looks encouraging and raises optimism about the stock.
The positive sentiment surrounding WAB stock is evident from the fact that the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the third quarter and full-year 2024 earnings has been revised upward in the past 60 days. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter and full-year 2024 earnings per share indicates growth of 9.4% and 26% from the respective 2023 figures.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The company's long-term (three-to-five years) earnings growth rate is 16.1%, higher than its industry's 13.4%.
Let's delve deeper.
Solid Financial Returns for Shareholders
Highlighting its pro-investor stance, Wabtec (on Feb. 14, 2024) announced a 17.6% dividend increase, thereby raising its quarterly cash dividend from 17 cents per share to 20 cents. This quarterly dividend of 20 cents (80 cents annualized) per share gives Wabtec a 0.47% yield at the current stock price. This company's payout ratio is 11%, with a five-year dividend growth rate of 12.34%.
Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation Dividend Yield
Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation dividend-yield-ttm | Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation Quote
Wabtec's bottom line has been benefiting from its consistent efforts to reward its shareholders through dividends and share buybacks. In 2022, WAB paid dividends of $111 million and repurchased shares worth $473 million. In 2023, WAB paid dividends of $123 million and repurchased shares worth $409 million. During the first six months of 2024, WAB paid dividends of $71 million and repurchased shares worth $375 million. Such shareholder-friendly moves instill investors' confidence and positively impact the company's bottom line.
Dividend-paying stocks provide a solid income stream and have fewer chances of experiencing wild price swings. Dividend stocks, like WAB, are safe bets for creating wealth, as the payouts generally act as a hedge against economic uncertainty like the current scenario.
Segmental Strength Boosts WAB's Top Line
Wabtec's top line has been benefiting from higher sales across its Freight and Transit segments. While the Freight segment benefits from growth in services and components, the transit segment gains from strong aftermarket and original equipment manufacturing sales.
WAB is expected to continue its strong performance due to strong underlying demand and a robust backlog.The ongoing summer season is expected to provide a further boost to revenues. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for WAB's third-quarter and fourth-quarter 2024 revenues is pegged at $2.64 billion and $2.61 billion, which indicates an improvement of 3.6% and 3.2% from 2023's actuals, respectively.
Driven by this encouraging backdrop, management raised its current-year EPS guidance. Wabtec raised 2024 EPS guidance to the range of $7.20-$7.50 from $7.00-$7.40 guided previously. The Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.46 lies within the updated guided range.
Wabtec's full-year revenue guidance remains unchanged in the $10.25 billion-$10.55 billion band. The Zacks Consensus Estimate of $10.39 billion lies within the guided range.
WAB's Price Performance Soars High
Wabtec has an impressive earnings surprise history. The company's earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters (missed the mark in the remaining quarter), delivering an average surprise of 11.83%. Driven by this upbeat earnings performance and the positives mentioned above, WAB shares have gained 37.2% so far this year, outperforming its industry as well as the S&P 500, of which the company is a key member.
Additionally, WAB's price performance so far this year compares favorably with that of other industry players like Ryder Corporation R and Air Lease Corporation AL.
YTD Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Some Other Tailwinds Working in Favor of WAB Stock
We are impressed with WAB's healthy balance sheet. The company's cash and equivalents increased to $595 million at the end of second-quarter 2024 from $371 million at the end of second-quarter 2023. Meanwhile, the long-term debt level has decreased to $3.5 billion at the end of second-quarter 2024 from $3.4 billion in the second quarter of 2023.
Long-Term Debt to Capitalization
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Wrapping Up
Given the positives surrounding the WAB stock, as highlighted throughout the write-up, we believe that investors should add WAB stock to their portfolio for healthy returns. The Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) carried by the stock supports our thesis.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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