Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD – Get Free Report) is one of 100 publicly-traded companies in the “Ground Transportation” industry, but how does it compare to its rivals? We will compare Heartland Express to related companies based on the strength of its dividends, profitability, risk, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings and analyst recommendations.
Dividends
Heartland Express pays an annual dividend of $0.08 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.8%. Heartland Express pays out -50.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, “Ground Transportation” companies pay a dividend yield of 1.5% and pay out 26.9% of their earnings in the form of a dividend.
Risk and Volatility
Heartland Express has a beta of 1.39, suggesting that its stock price is 39% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Heartland Express’ rivals have a beta of 1.14, suggesting that their average stock price is 14% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares Heartland Express and its rivals gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Net Income | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Heartland Express | $805.71 million | -$52.45 million | -64.94 |
| Heartland Express Competitors | $8.77 billion | $911.04 million | 1.09 |
Heartland Express’ rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Heartland Express. Heartland Express is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.
Profitability
This table compares Heartland Express and its rivals’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Heartland Express | -1.77% | 0.30% | 0.20% |
| Heartland Express Competitors | 6.87% | 12.61% | 4.01% |
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of current recommendations for Heartland Express and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Heartland Express | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1.57 |
| Heartland Express Competitors | 1371 | 6534 | 8697 | 267 | 2.47 |
Heartland Express presently has a consensus price target of $11.80, indicating a potential upside of 13.57%. As a group, “Ground Transportation” companies have a potential upside of 17.40%. Given Heartland Express’ rivals stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Heartland Express has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
53.4% of Heartland Express shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 60.5% of shares of all “Ground Transportation” companies are held by institutional investors. 41.6% of Heartland Express shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 15.5% of shares of all “Ground Transportation” companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Summary
Heartland Express rivals beat Heartland Express on 11 of the 15 factors compared.
About Heartland Express
Heartland Express, Inc. is a truckload transportation company headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa. The company provides freight services primarily using dry-van equipment, moving goods for shippers across a range of industries. Founded in 1978, Heartland Express has expanded through acquisitions and operates under brands that include Heartland Express, CFI, Millis Transfer and Smith Transport. Its services include regional and long-haul transportation, with operations serving customers across the United States and cross-border markets in North America.
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