Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) Stock Price Target Cut by Barclays

Key Points

• Barclays cut Werner Enterprises’ price target from $38 to $32 while maintaining an “equal weight” rating, reflecting cautious analyst sentiment. The broader analyst consensus remains “Hold,” with an average target of $37.14.
• Werner returned to profitability in the latest quarter with EPS of $0.16, matching estimates, and revenue rose 23.2% year over year to $825.3 million. However, revenue fell well short of the $956.6 million consensus estimate, and reported net margins remained negative.
• Shares traded at $27.81, well below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, while institutional investors owned 89.32% of the stock. Management expects stronger fourth-quarter revenue per mile and has lowered its 2026 capital-spending forecast, potentially supporting future cash flow.

Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN - Get Free Report) had its price target reduced by Barclays from $38.00 to $32.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "equal weight" rating on the transportation company's stock. Barclays's price target suggests a potential upside of 15.07% from the company's previous close.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Werner Enterprises from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Werner Enterprises from $35.00 to $31.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. TD Cowen reduced their target price on shares of Werner Enterprises from $43.00 to $41.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of Werner Enterprises from $40.00 to $36.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $32.00 price target on Werner Enterprises and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 20th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $37.14.

Werner Enterprises Stock Performance

WERN traded up $0.68 on Thursday, reaching $27.81. 265,935 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,093,953. The company's 50-day moving average price is $34.79 and its 200 day moving average price is $36.10. Werner Enterprises has a fifty-two week low of $23.06 and a fifty-two week high of $47.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.45 and a quick ratio of 1.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.67 billion, a PE ratio of -36.51 and a beta of 1.29.

Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The transportation company reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.16. The business had revenue of $825.28 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $956.55 million. Werner Enterprises had a positive return on equity of 1.18% and a negative net margin of 1.42%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 23.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned ($0.03) EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Werner Enterprises will post 0.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in shares of Werner Enterprises by 17.7% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 10,405,606 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $453,788,000 after purchasing an additional 1,563,170 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in Werner Enterprises by 3.1% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,637,086 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $115,003,000 after buying an additional 79,075 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Werner Enterprises by 4.1% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,794,752 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $111,601,000 after buying an additional 148,826 shares during the last quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. lifted its holdings in Werner Enterprises by 11.1% during the 1st quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 3,055,017 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $89,848,000 after buying an additional 304,983 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Maple Rock Capital Partners Inc. boosted its position in shares of Werner Enterprises by 146.9% during the 2nd quarter. Maple Rock Capital Partners Inc. now owns 1,366,167 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $59,579,000 after acquiring an additional 812,800 shares in the last quarter. 89.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Werner Enterprises News

Here are the key news stories impacting Werner Enterprises this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Werner returned to profitability in the third quarter, reporting adjusted EPS of $0.16 versus a loss of $0.03 a year earlier, in line with analysts’ expectations. Revenue increased 23.2% year over year to $825.3 million, while improved fleet efficiency helped support the recovery. Werner Enterprises Swings to Q3 Profit
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects fourth-quarter one-way revenue per total mile to rise 10% to 13% and reduced its 2026 net capital-expenditure forecast to $190 million-$205 million. Lower spending could support cash flow, while anticipated freight-capacity reductions may improve pricing and margins over time. Werner Q4 Revenue and CapEx Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Executives signaled a potential margin rebound and said industry capacity cuts could accelerate, with a multi-year freight upcycle possible if excess trucking capacity continues to leave the market. Werner Signals Margin Rebound
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views remain divided. Morgan Stanley maintained an overweight rating despite reducing its target to $52, while JPMorgan raised its target to $34 but retained an underweight rating. Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Stifel also lowered their targets while keeping neutral-equivalent ratings.
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary argues that the stock could be undervalued following the company’s Graypool rebrand, but this represents a valuation thesis rather than a confirmed improvement in earnings. Werner Stock May Be a Bargain
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue of $825.3 million was substantially below the roughly $956.6 million analyst consensus, and profitability remains fragile, with a negative reported net margin. These factors temper the bullish impact of the return to positive EPS.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks downgraded WERN from “hold” to “strong sell,” adding fresh pressure to the shares and highlighting continued concerns about the earnings recovery.

Werner Enterprises Company Profile

Werner Enterprises, Inc is a transportation and logistics company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1956 by Clarence L. Werner, the company provides freight transportation and supply chain services to customers across North America.

The company's operations include truckload transportation, dedicated transportation, and regional truckload services. Werner also provides logistics services, including freight brokerage, intermodal transportation, cross-border transportation, and supply chain management solutions.

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