Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) Issues Earnings Results

Posted by Brian Himes on Oct 21st, 2026

Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD – Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The transportation company reported $0.01 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.03 by ($0.02), Zacks reports. The business had revenue of $179.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $181.38 million. Heartland Express had a negative return on equity of 0.92% and a negative net margin of 2.98%.

Heartland Express Price Performance

NASDAQ HTLD opened at $10.27 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $11.90 and its 200 day moving average is $13.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.58. Heartland Express has a 12 month low of $6.99 and a 12 month high of $16.64.

Heartland Express Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Friday, September 25th were paid a dividend of $0.02 per share. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 25th. Heartland Express’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -28.57%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on HTLD. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Heartland Express from $14.00 to $12.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Heartland Express from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Zacks Research downgraded Heartland Express from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Heartland Express from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Heartland Express from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $12.40.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on HTLD

Key Heartland Express News

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.

Heartland Express Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.