Wabash National Rises 16.4% After DA Davidson Buy Upgrade to $20 Target
WNC•Trailer builder Wabash National saw its stock jump 16.4% to $10.80 after DA Davidson upgraded the rating to buy with a $20 target, pushing shares up 56.7% in the past month and 34.7% over three months. A Commerce Department ruling imposing 82.3%-128.7% countervailing duties on Chinese imports adds further tailwinds.
1. Analyst Upgrade Sparks Rally
DA Davidson analysts Michael Shlisky and Linda Umwali met with Wabash National management and investors before raising the stock rating from neutral to buy and setting a $20 price target, citing growing confidence in market demand recovery.
2. Stock Performance Metrics
Shares had bottomed near $7.15 on June 5 and closed at $9.28 before the upgrade, then surged 16.38% to $10.80 on the upgrade day and extended gains to $11.24, resulting in a 56.7% increase over the past month and 34.7% over three months.
3. Trade Ruling Boosts Outlook
The US Commerce Department has recommended countervailing duties of 82.3%–128.7% on Chinese trailer imports and smaller levies on Mexican imports, a development Wabash management views as a significant tailwind for domestic production.
4. Trailer Orders Surge Year-on-Year
Preliminary net trailer orders for May reached 20,700 units, up from April’s 19,400 and representing a 237% increase year-over-year, indicating strengthening replacement demand ahead of a projected recovery in 2027.
