Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) Reaches New 52-Week High – Here’s Why

Posted by Francis Steltz on May 26th, 2026

Shares of Heartland Express, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTLD – Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $14.60 and last traded at $14.59, with a volume of 21439 shares. The stock had previously closed at $14.35.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on HTLD shares. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Heartland Express from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Heartland Express from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Heartland Express from $10.00 to $12.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Heartland Express from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $12.00 target price on shares of Heartland Express in a research note on Friday, May 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Heartland Express presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $12.20.

View Our Latest Stock Report on HTLD

Heartland Express Trading Up 1.9%

The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $11.70 and its 200 day moving average price is $10.40. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The stock has a market cap of $1.13 billion, a PE ratio of -26.11 and a beta of 1.28.

Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The transportation company reported ($0.06) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.13) by $0.07. Heartland Express had a negative net margin of 5.69% and a negative return on equity of 3.70%. The firm had revenue of $153.81 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $177.30 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted ($0.18) earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 19.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Heartland Express, Inc. will post 0.04 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Heartland Express

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HTLD. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Heartland Express by 72.7% in the third quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 1,153,238 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $9,664,000 after purchasing an additional 485,658 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Heartland Express by 150.6% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 799,491 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $6,700,000 after acquiring an additional 480,488 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its stake in shares of Heartland Express by 91.0% during the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 812,248 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $6,807,000 after acquiring an additional 386,961 shares during the last quarter. Punch & Associates Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Heartland Express during the 4th quarter worth $2,619,000. Finally, UBS Group AG boosted its stake in shares of Heartland Express by 90.6% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 529,514 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $4,782,000 after acquiring an additional 251,670 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 53.45% of the company’s stock.

Heartland Express Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Heartland Express, Inc (NASDAQ: HTLD) is a publicly traded truckload carrier headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa. The company specializes in full truckload transportation, offering dry-van services that connect shippers with customers across the continental United States. Its primary focus is on over-the-road freight movements, serving industries such as manufacturing, retail, and consumer goods.

Founded in 1978 as Heartland Motor Freight, the company has grown from a regional carrier into one of the larger U.S.