Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) Stock Price Target Cut by UBS Group

Key Points

• UBS Group cut Heartland Express’s price target from $13 to $12 while maintaining a neutral rating; the new target implies approximately 16.9% upside from the $10.26 share price.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious, with a consensus “Reduce” rating, an average price target of $12.20, and recent downgrades from Zacks Research, Robert W. Baird, and Barclays.
• Heartland Express missed third-quarter expectations, reporting $0.01 in earnings per share versus a $0.03 consensus and revenue of $179.5 million versus $181.4 million expected; profitability also remained weak, with a negative net margin and return on equity.

Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD - Get Free Report) had its target price reduced by research analysts at UBS Group from $13.00 to $12.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "neutral" rating on the transportation company's stock. UBS Group's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 16.94% from the stock's current price.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Zacks Research cut Heartland Express from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. Robert W. Baird lowered Heartland Express from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $16.00 to $12.00 in a report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Heartland Express in a report on Monday, September 21st. Barclays cut their target price 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. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Heartland Express from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $12.20.

Heartland Express Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:HTLD traded down $0.01 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $10.26. The company had a trading volume of 470,051 shares, compared to its average volume of 603,168. Heartland Express has a one year low of $6.99 and a one year high of $16.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The company's 50-day moving average price is $11.90 and its 200-day moving average price is $13.08. The firm has a market cap of $793.56 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -36.65 and a beta of 1.35.

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 net margin of 2.98% and a negative return on equity of 0.92%. The firm had revenue of $179.50 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $181.38 million. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Heartland Express will post 0.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Heartland Express

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in HTLD. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in Heartland Express during the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC bought a new stake in Heartland Express during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in Heartland Express by 18.1% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 6,525 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $99,000 after acquiring an additional 999 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its stake in Heartland Express by 3,737.9% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 10,746 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $112,000 after purchasing an additional 10,466 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Heartland Express by 73.5% in the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,429 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $133,000 after purchasing an additional 4,840 shares in the last quarter. 53.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Heartland Express

Here are the key news stories impacting Heartland Express this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Heartland Express returned to net income in the third quarter, marking an earnings turnaround from the prior period and offering evidence that cost and operational efforts may be improving results. Heartland Express Reports Third-Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Baird’s revised $12 price target remains above the recent share price, indicating analysts see potential upside if freight conditions and company profitability improve. Baird Cuts Heartland Express Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Heartland reported third-quarter revenue of $179.5 million, slightly below the $181.4 million consensus estimate. The company’s negative net margin and return on equity show that profitability remains fragile despite the return to net income. Heartland Express Q3 Profit and Margin Report
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter earnings per share were $0.01, below the $0.03 analyst consensus. The miss, along with operating-revenue declines and margin strain, raises concerns about the pace of the recovery. Heartland Express Q3 Earnings Flash
• Negative Sentiment: Baird downgraded HTLD from Outperform to Neutral and cut its target from $16 to $12, citing mounting trucking-industry headwinds. The shares also remain well below their 52-week high and below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, reflecting a persistent downward trend. Baird Downgrades Heartland Express Amid Trucking Headwinds

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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