What Happened?
Shares of semi trailers and liquid transportation container manufacturer Wabash (NYSE:WNC) fell 3.4% in the afternoon session after an analyst reiterated a neutral rating on the stock, citing continued weakness in the trailer market and mounting inflationary pressures. The move follows a research note from DA Davidson, which reiterated its "Neutral" rating on the stock with a price target of $9.50, below its recent trading price. The firm cited July industry data showing that despite some order growth, shipments declined 15% and backlogs fell 14% year-over-year, indicating persistent market weakness. Analysts noted there are "few tangible signs of recovery" materializing.
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What Is The Market Telling Us
Wabash’s shares are extremely volatile and have had 33 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.
The previous big move we wrote about was about 24 hours ago when the stock dropped 5.1% on the news that the major indices continued to pull back, with technology stocks accounting for most of the market's largest decliners.
A key reason for this trend is that much of the recent market gains were concentrated in the "AI trade," which includes these large technology and semiconductor companies. So this could also mean that some investors are locking in some gains ahead of more definitive feedback from the Fed.
Despite the downturn, some analysts viewed this as an opportunity to own some of the "Core AI winners." Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities commented, "In our view, the tech bull cycle will be well intact for at least another 2-3 years, given the trillions being spent on AI infrastructure/software/chips/power/apps looking ahead. This remains our tech playbook and investor roadmap." Additionally, mixed earnings reports from retailers, such as Target, have added to the market's weakness. Investors are closely monitoring these reports for insights into the broader economic health and the potential impact of new tariffs on inflation.
Wabash is down 41.2% since the beginning of the year, and at $9.99 per share, it is trading 50.7% below its 52-week high of $20.26 from December 2024. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Wabash’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $797.92.
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