Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD – Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at Robert W. Baird from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report issued on Tuesday, MarketBeat.com reports. They currently have a $12.00 price target on the transportation company’s stock, down from their previous price target of $16.00. Robert W. Baird’s price target points to a potential upside of 16.85% from the company’s previous close.
HTLD has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Heartland Express in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Heartland Express from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, September 19th. Zacks Research downgraded Heartland Express from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Heartland Express from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on Heartland Express from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $12.40.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Heartland Express
Heartland Express Stock Performance
HTLD opened at $10.27 on Tuesday. Heartland Express has a 12 month low of $6.99 and a 12 month high of $16.64. The business has a 50-day moving average of $11.90 and a two-hundred day moving average of $13.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 1.58.
Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 20th. The transportation company reported $0.01 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.03 by ($0.02). Heartland Express had a negative return on equity of 0.92% and a negative net margin of 2.98%. The company had revenue of $179.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $181.38 million. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Heartland Express will post 0.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Heartland Express
Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Heartland Express during the second quarter worth about $104,523,000. Wallace Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Heartland Express in the second quarter worth about $14,687,000. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new stake in Heartland Express in the second quarter valued at about $5,425,000. Punch & Associates Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in Heartland Express in the second quarter valued at about $5,049,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in Heartland Express during the second quarter valued at approximately $4,523,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 53.45% of the company’s stock.
Key Stories Impacting Heartland Express
Here are the key news stories impacting Heartland Express this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Heartland Express swung to net income in the third quarter, marking an earnings turnaround compared with the prior-year period. However, the improvement was limited, with adjusted EPS of $0.01. Heartland Express sees earnings turnaround in Q3
- Neutral Sentiment: Third-quarter revenue was $179.5 million, slightly below the $181.38 million analyst consensus. The company’s return to profitability is a constructive development, but operating performance remains fragile. Heartland Express Reports Net Income In Q3
- Negative Sentiment: EPS of $0.01 missed expectations of $0.03, while margin pressure contributed to a negative net margin of 2.98% and negative return on equity of 0.92%. The results suggest that trucking-market weakness is still weighing on profitability. Heartland Express Stock Slips As Q3 Profit Meets Margin Strain
- Negative Sentiment: Robert W. Baird downgraded HTLD from Outperform to Neutral and reduced its price target to $12 from $16, citing mounting trucking headwinds. Although the new target implies potential upside from the referenced $10.27 price, the downgrade signals reduced confidence in the near-term outlook. Baird Downgrades Heartland Express to Neutral
- Negative Sentiment: The shares remain well below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, reinforcing the stock’s weak momentum after falling substantially from its 52-week high.
About Heartland Express
Heartland Express, Inc (NASDAQ: HTLD) is a transportation and logistics company that provides truckload freight services across North America. Its operations primarily involve the over-the-road movement of general, non-refrigerated freight using dry van equipment.
The company offers irregular-route and dedicated transportation services to shippers, along with logistics and related freight solutions. Heartland Express serves customers throughout the contiguous United States and, through its broader network, supports cross-border freight movements involving Canada and Mexico.
Founded in 1978 by Russell Gerdin, the company is headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa.
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