Wabtec (WAB) Down 1.9% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Rebound?
It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies (WAB). Shares have lost about 1.9% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.
But investors have to be wondering, will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Wabtec due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.
Wabtec Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates
Quarterly adjusted earnings of $2.76 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.63 by 4.9% and increased 21.6% year over year, owing to higher sales and operating margin expansion. Revenues climbed 17.5% to $3.18 billion and surpassed the consensus mark of $3.08 billion by 3.2%. Growth across Freight and Transit, supported by acquisitions and organic expansion, drove the top line. The 12-month backlog increased 11.3% to $9.14 billion.
WAB's Freight Segment Drives Broad-Based Growth
Freight segment revenues increased 16.9% year over year to $2.24 billion. Equipment sales rose 35% to $737 million on higher locomotive deliveries, while Digital Intelligence sales surged 88.5% to $360 million, aided by the acquisitions of Inspection Technologies and Frauscher Sensor Technologies.
Services revenues declined 4.2% to $748 million because of lower modernization deliveries, as expected. Components revenues were nearly flat at $398 million. Freight-adjusted operating margin improved 80 basis points to 25.8%, reflecting better gross margins despite higher operating expenses as a percentage of sales.
Wabtec's Transit Business Posts Margin Expansion
Transit segment revenues rose 18.9% to $936 million. The increase reflected the Dellner Couplers acquisition, higher original equipment and aftermarket sales and favorable foreign currency movements. On a constant-currency basis, segment sales advanced 17.7%.
Original equipment revenues grew to $411 million from $353 million, while aftermarket revenues increased to $525 million from $434 million. Adjusted operating margin expanded 250 basis points to 17.7%, supported by improved gross profitability.
WAB Benefits From Acquisition and Organic Gains
Acquisitions contributed $232 million to second-quarter sales growth, including $163 million in Freight and $69 million in Transit. Organic growth added another $229 million, split between $158 million in Freight and $71 million in Transit.
Favorable foreign exchange contributed $24 million, while portfolio optimization actions reduced revenues by $12 million. The mix shows that Wabtec’s growth was not solely acquisition-driven, as underlying demand also made a meaningful contribution.
Wabtec Expands Consolidated Profitability
Adjusted gross margin increased 190 basis points to 36.7%, while adjusted operating margin improved 80 basis points to 21.9%. Robust sales growth and stronger gross margins supported profitability across the organization.
WAB's Backlog Supports Revenue Visibility
Total backlog reached $30.93 billion as of June 30, 2026, up 41.7% from $21.83 billion a year earlier. Freight backlog increased to $25.33 billion, while Transit backlog rose to $5.60 billion.
The 12-month backlog grew by $930 million year over year. Freight accounted for $6.64 billion of the near-term backlog, while Transit represented $2.50 billion. This order coverage provides visibility into production and service activity across both core businesses.
Wabtec Generates Stronger Operating Cash Flow
Cash from operations increased to $441 million from $209 million in the prior-year quarter. Operating cash flow conversion improved to 82% from 46%, aided by higher net income and favorable working-capital movements.
Wabtec ended the quarter with $670 million in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash. Total available liquidity was $2.02 billion, including $1.36 billion available under existing credit facilities. Total debt stood at $6.57 billion, including $4.92 billion of long-term debt.
During the reported quarter, Wabtec repurchased $215 million of shares and paid $53 million in dividends.
Outlook Raised
Apart from the better-than-expected results, Wabtec has raised its full-year 2026 guidance. The company raised its 2026 adjusted earnings guidance to $10.60-$10.90 per share from the previous $10.25-$10.65 range. The midpoint increased by 30 cents and represents expected year-over-year growth of approximately 19.9%. The company also raised its 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $12.30-$12.60 billion from the prior view of $12.19-$12.49 billion. The midpoint rose by $110 million and implies growth of approximately 11.5% from 2025.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?
In the past month, investors have witnessed a downward trend in fresh estimates.
VGM Scores
Currently, Wabtec has a average Growth Score of C, though it is lagging a bit on the Momentum Score front with a D. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock has a score of F on the value side, putting it in the fifth quintile for this investment strategy.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of D. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
Outlook
Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Interestingly, Wabtec has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). We expect an above average return from the stock in the next few months.
Research Chief Names "Single Best Pick to Double"
From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.
This company targets millennial and Gen Z audiences, generating nearly $1 billion in revenue last quarter alone. A recent pullback makes now an ideal time to jump aboard. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.
Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWabtec (WAB) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
