Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ:BLBD) Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Seven brokerages give Blue Bird a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" (six buys, one hold) with an average 12‑month price target of $75.80, and upward target revisions (Needham $86, BTIG $80, Barclays $75) helped drive an ~8.9% rally.
• Blue Bird beat Q2 estimates — $1.00 EPS vs. $0.88 and $352.6M revenue vs. $335.2M — and updated FY‑2026 revenue guidance to about $1.8B while reporting improved operating cash flow.
• Risks include margin pressure and mixed profitability, plus recent insider and some institutional selling, which could weigh on sentiment if sustained.

Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ:BLBD - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" by the seven brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $75.80.

Several research firms recently commented on BLBD. Wall Street Zen downgraded Blue Bird from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Blue Bird from $55.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday. BTIG Research increased their target price on shares of Blue Bird from $65.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Blue Bird from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC boosted their price target on shares of Blue Bird from $78.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday.

Blue Bird Stock Up 8.9%

BLBD opened at $70.84 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $2.24 billion, a PE ratio of 17.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.38. Blue Bird has a twelve month low of $36.01 and a twelve month high of $81.51. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $59.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $54.52. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $352.64 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $335.23 million. Blue Bird had a return on equity of 56.29% and a net margin of 8.91%.Blue Bird's quarterly revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.96 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Blue Bird will post 4.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Blue Bird

In other Blue Bird news, CFO Razvan Radulescu sold 3,925 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.98, for a total value of $239,346.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 42,255 shares in the company, valued at $2,576,709.90. This represents a 8.50% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, COO Jeffrey Scott Sanfrey sold 5,192 shares of Blue Bird stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.54, for a total value of $303,939.68. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 39,011 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,283,703.94. This represents a 11.75% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Blue Bird

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Meeder Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Blue Bird by 28.3% in the 1st quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 15,372 shares of the company's stock valued at $873,000 after buying an additional 3,392 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Blue Bird by 7.5% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 688,931 shares of the company's stock worth $39,118,000 after purchasing an additional 48,174 shares during the period. Aurora Investment Counsel purchased a new position in shares of Blue Bird during the first quarter worth $2,108,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in Blue Bird by 23.6% during the 1st quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 506,665 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,767,000 after acquiring an additional 96,793 shares during the period. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Blue Bird by 36.2% in the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 56,625 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,216,000 after purchasing an additional 15,062 shares during the period. 93.59% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Blue Bird News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Blue Bird this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results and stronger company guidance — Blue Bird reported Q2 revenue of $352.6M (above consensus) and updated FY‑2026 revenue guidance to about $1.8B, which investors read as confirmation of demand and top‑line momentum. Blue Bird Reports Fiscal 2026 Second Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price‑target upgrades — BTIG raised its target to $80 (Buy) and Needham raised its target to $86 (Buy), reinforcing bullish sell‑side sentiment and likely supporting today's rally. Benzinga The Fly
• Positive Sentiment: Improved cash flow and liquidity — operating cash flow increased and cash balances rose year‑over‑year, giving Blue Bird flexibility to invest in EV production and capex. This underpins investor confidence in execution. Blue Bird Corporation (BLBD) Stock Rises on Q2 2026 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call and slide deck available — management commentary and the investor presentation supply additional color on margin drivers, EV demand and channel fill; useful for modeling but not an immediate catalyst by itself. Blue Bird Corporation (BLBD) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript Blue Bird Corporation 2026 Q2 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Electrification wins are progressing — local district EV projects and charging deployments support long‑term TAM expansion but are gradual in revenue impact. RIO BRAVO-GREELEY UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT TO BREAK GROUND ON ELECTRIC SCHOOL BUS PROJECT
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure and mixed profitability — cost of sales rose and gross profit was slightly lower year‑over‑year; net income and diluted EPS showed modest declines in some reported metrics, which could limit multiple expansion absent sustained margin improvement. Blue Bird Corporation (BLBD) Stock Rises on Q2 2026 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Insider and institutional selling activity — recent insider sales and some large institutional position reductions were noted, which can pressure sentiment if sustained. Blue Bird Corporation (BLBD) Stock Rises on Q2 2026 Earnings

Blue Bird Company Profile

Blue Bird Corporation NASDAQ: BLBD is a leading manufacturer of buses and mass transportation vehicles headquartered in Fort Valley, Georgia. The company's core business encompasses the design, engineering, and production of school buses and activity buses, with a product lineup that includes conventional (Type C) models, transit-style (Type D) models and specialty configurations for special-needs and activity transport. In recent years, Blue Bird has expanded its offerings to include zero-emission electric school buses, reflecting its commitment to advanced propulsion technologies and environmental sustainability.

Established in 1927, Blue Bird has built a legacy of safety and reliability in student transportation.

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