Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) Given Buy Rating at Needham & Company LLC

Key Points

• Needham reiterated its “Buy” rating on Blue Bird and set an $86 price target, implying 11.79% upside from the prior close. Analysts’ consensus is “Moderate Buy,” with an average target of $84.67.
• Blue Bird reported quarterly results above expectations, with $517.2 million in revenue and $1.28 in EPS, while unit sales rose substantially year over year.
• Management expects fiscal 2026 revenue of approximately $1.8 billion, and a new agreement with Ford could expand Blue Bird’s commercial-vehicle business and create a long-term revenue opportunity.

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy" rating reiterated by equities researchers at Needham & Company LLC in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $86.00 price target on the stock. Needham & Company LLC's price target points to a potential upside of 11.79% from the stock's previous close.

BLBD has been the topic of several other research reports. Freedom Capital downgraded Blue Bird from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. BTIG Research raised their price target on Blue Bird from $65.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Wall Street Zen cut Blue Bird from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. Roth Capital assumed coverage on Blue Bird in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $94.00 price objective for the company. Finally, DA Davidson set a $86.00 target price on shares of Blue Bird in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Blue Bird presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $84.67.

Blue Bird Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:BLBD opened at $76.93 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $75.19 and a 200 day moving average of $64.81. Blue Bird has a 52-week low of $42.95 and a 52-week high of $83.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a current ratio of 1.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.43 billion, a PE ratio of 18.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.36.

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.03. Blue Bird had a net margin of 8.91% and a return on equity of 53.68%. The business had revenue of $517.16 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $485.73 million. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Blue Bird will post 4.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Blue Bird

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BLBD. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Blue Bird by 7.1% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,041,085 shares of the company's stock valued at $95,931,000 after acquiring an additional 135,562 shares in the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its position in shares of Blue Bird by 41.8% in the 1st quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 1,102,335 shares of the company's stock worth $62,669,000 after acquiring an additional 324,710 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Blue Bird by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,048,028 shares of the company's stock worth $49,257,000 after acquiring an additional 8,430 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Blue Bird by 14.5% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 865,136 shares of the company's stock valued at $40,661,000 after purchasing an additional 109,668 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Blue Bird by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 769,204 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,159,000 after purchasing an additional 3,120 shares during the period. 93.59% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Blue Bird

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

• Positive Sentiment: Blue Bird reported fiscal Q3 revenue of $517.2 million, up $119.1 million year over year and ahead of the roughly $485.7 million analyst consensus. Adjusted earnings were $1.28 per share, exceeding estimates of $1.22-$1.25 and increasing from $1.19 a year earlier. Blue Bird Reports Fiscal 2026 Third Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Operating momentum was strong: quarterly unit sales rose to 3,525, up 1,058 from the prior year, while nine-month sales reached 7,808 units. Revenue for the first nine months was $1.20 billion, an increase of $132.1 million year over year. Blue Bird Q3 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised or reaffirmed fiscal 2026 revenue expectations at approximately $1.8 billion, above the $1.7 billion consensus forecast. The guidance implies continued demand for Blue Bird’s school buses and supports investor confidence in the company’s growth outlook. Blue Bird Fiscal 2026 Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Blue Bird entered a definitive agreement with Ford to design, manufacture and sell the next generation of F-53 and F-59 commercial stripped chassis. The partnership could diversify Blue Bird’s commercial-vehicle operations and create an additional long-term revenue opportunity. Blue Bird Enters Agreement with Ford

About Blue Bird

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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