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Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 22 April 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Sales up 13% on acquisitions and currency: Sales were $2.95 billion, up 13.0%. Acquisitions added $225 million and currency $68 million; organic growth added $60 million, so most of the increase came from acquisitions and currency. Source
  • Adjusted EPS rose 18.9%: GAAP diluted EPS was $2.12, up 12.8%; adjusted diluted EPS was $2.71, up 18.9%. Management attributed the gain mainly to higher sales, plus currency and tax-timing benefits. Source
  • GAAP operating margin fell, adjusted rose: GAAP operating margin was 17.5% against 18.2%, while adjusted operating margin was 21.9% against 21.7%. Both margins benefited from sales growth. Source
  • Freight sales up 11.3%: Freight sales were $2,115 million against $1,901 million. Acquisitions added $184 million to Freight sales in the quarter. Source
  • Gross margin rose on both bases: Gross margin was 36.0% GAAP against 34.5%, and 36.9% adjusted against 34.6%. Gross profit was $1,061 million against $900 million. Source
  • Total backlog up 38.1%: Total backlog was $30.80 billion, up 38.1% from $22.30 billion a year earlier and up from $27.41 billion at December 31, 2025. Source
  • Operating cash flow edged higher: Cash from operations was $199 million against $191 million; operating cash flow conversion was 40% against 43%. Receivables absorbed $305 million. Management attributed the increase to higher net income. Source
  • Adjusted EPS guidance raised: Adjusted diluted EPS guidance range raised to $10.25 to $10.65 from $10.05 to $10.45. Source

“During the quarter we secured significant wins across multiple businesses, executed integration plans for our recent acquisitions, advanced key innovation initiatives, and further strengthened our portfolio”

Rafael Santana, Wabtec’s President and CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Adjusted diluted EPS Sourcefull year 2026$10.25 - $10.65Raised from $10.05 to $10.45
Sales Sourcefull year 2026$12.19 billion to 12.49 billion, up 10.5% at the midpointKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Adjusted EPS guidance range raised to $10.25 to $10.65 from $10.05 to $10.45. Source
  • Guidance kept: Sales guidance range of $12.19 billion to $12.49 billion kept from the prior release. Source
  • Ended: A low-margin Digital project was exited this quarter, which the release cites as a factor in GAAP operating margin. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Sales up 13% on acquisitions and currency: Sales were $2.95 billion, up 13.0%. Acquisitions added $225 million and currency $68 million; organic growth added $60 million, so most of the increase came from acquisitions and currency. Source
  • Adjusted EPS rose 18.9%: GAAP diluted EPS was $2.12, up 12.8%; adjusted diluted EPS was $2.71, up 18.9%. Management attributed the gain mainly to higher sales, plus currency and tax-timing benefits. Source
  • GAAP operating margin fell, adjusted rose: GAAP operating margin was 17.5% against 18.2%, while adjusted operating margin was 21.9% against 21.7%. Both margins benefited from sales growth. Source

Segment results

  • Freight sales up 11.3%: Freight sales were $2,115 million against $1,901 million. Acquisitions added $184 million to Freight sales in the quarter. Source
  • Freight adjusted margin edged up: Freight adjusted operating margin rose 0.3 points to 26.0%; GAAP operating margin fell 0.8 points to 21.3%. Gross margin gains were partly offset by higher operating expenses as a percent of revenue. Source
  • Transit sales up 17.8%: Transit sales were $835 million against $709 million, up 11.0% in constant currency. Named drivers were the Dellner acquisition, higher OE and aftermarket sales, and favorable currency. Source
  • Transit margin rose on gross margin: Transit adjusted operating margin rose 2.0 points to 16.6%; GAAP operating margin rose 1.8 points to 14.5%. Gross margin gains were partly offset by higher operating expenses. Source

“we remain well positioned to deliver profitable growth and continue compounding long-term value for our shareholders.”

Rafael Santana, Wabtec’s President and CEO

Products and customers

  • Services fell on modernization timing: Services sales were $714 million against $863 million, as modernization deliveries were lower, as management expected. Source
  • Equipment sales rose on locomotives: Equipment sales were $726 million against $476 million, driven by higher locomotive deliveries. Source
  • Digital Intelligence sales rose 75.7%: Digital Intelligence sales were $318 million against $181 million, driven by the Inspection Technologies and Frauscher acquisitions. Source
  • Components sales slipped slightly: Components sales were $357 million against $381 million a year earlier. Source
  • Transit OE and aftermarket both rose: Transit OE sales were $381 million against $322 million; aftermarket sales were $454 million against $387 million. Source

Costs, margins and adjustments

  • Gross margin rose on both bases: Gross margin was 36.0% GAAP against 34.5%, and 36.9% adjusted against 34.6%. Gross profit was $1,061 million against $900 million. Source
  • Operating expense ratio climbed: Operating expenses were 18.4% of net sales against 16.3% a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted results exclude acquisition items: Non-cash amortization of $87 million, worth $0.40 per share, was excluded from adjusted results. Inventory purchase accounting added $0.11, transaction costs $0.06 and restructuring $0.02. Source
  • Effective tax rate eased: Effective tax rate was 22.7% against 23.2%. Source
  • Net interest expense rose: Net interest expense was $71 million against $46 million; other income was $23 million against a $2 million expense. Source

Backlog and order book

  • Total backlog up 38.1%: Total backlog was $30.80 billion, up 38.1% from $22.30 billion a year earlier and up from $27.41 billion at December 31, 2025. Source
  • 12-month backlog up 12.8%: The 12-month backlog was $9.25 billion, up 12.8%, which the company describes as $1.05 billion higher than the prior year period. Source
  • Multi-year backlog up 36.2% ex-currency: Multi-year backlog was $8.50 billion above the prior year; excluding currency, it was $8.07 billion higher, up 36.2%. Source
  • Transit backlog grew faster than Freight: Transit total backlog was $5.63 billion against $4.45 billion a year earlier. Freight total backlog was $25.18 billion against $17.85 billion. Source

Cash and shareholder returns

  • Operating cash flow edged higher: Cash from operations was $199 million against $191 million; operating cash flow conversion was 40% against 43%. Receivables absorbed $305 million. Management attributed the increase to higher net income. Source
  • Buybacks and dividends paid: The company repurchased $242 million of its shares and paid $53 million in dividends during the quarter. Source
  • Debt and liquidity at quarter end: Cash ended at $0.53 billion, total debt at $6.54 billion, and total available liquidity at $2.09 billion. Source
  • Large investing outflow in quarter: Investing activities used $1,105 million and financing activities provided $656 million. The release gives no line-item breakdown of either. Source

Full-year 2026 guidance

  • Adjusted EPS guidance raised: Adjusted diluted EPS guidance range raised to $10.25 to $10.65 from $10.05 to $10.45. Source
  • Midpoint rises $0.20: The adjusted EPS midpoint rises $0.20, or 16.5%, to the new range. Source
  • Sales guidance kept: Sales guidance of $12.19 billion to $12.49 billion is unchanged, with the midpoint up 10.5%. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total backlog Source$30,802 million at March 31, 2026
12-month backlog Source$9,247 million
Freight total backlog Source$25,175 million

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Exit of a low-margin Digital project, restructuring, purchase accounting and transaction costs weighed on GAAP operating margin. Source
  • Financial: An inventory purchase accounting charge of $23 million is excluded from adjusted results, which carry a $0.11 per-share effect. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Management says it executed integration plans for recent acquisitions during the quarter. Source
  • Not stated: Services sales fell on lower modernization deliveries, which management described as expected. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.