Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Key Points

• Blue Bird beat Q2 estimates with EPS of $1.00 vs. $0.87 and revenue of $352.6M, delivering a record $51M Adjusted EBITDA, record free cash flow of $40M, and selling 2,148 buses.
• Backlog stands at roughly 3,600 units including 912 EVs; alt‑power comprised 41% of Q2 mix and management raised its full‑year EV target to 900, signaling sustained EV demand through 2027.
• Blue Bird closed the remaining 50% acquisition of the Micro Bird JV (adding two plants and ~950 employees) and secured an $80M DOE MESC grant toward a planned ~$300M Type C plant, expanding total addressable market by ~78% and increasing FY revenue/EBITDA guidance.

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD - Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported $1.00 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.87 by $0.13, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $352.64 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $335.23 million. Blue Bird had a return on equity of 57.60% and a net margin of 8.65%.The company's revenue was down 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.96 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Blue Bird's conference call:

• Beat guidance for the 14th consecutive quarter—Q2 record $51 million Adjusted EBITDA, record free cash flow of $40 million, $353M revenue, and 2,148 buses sold.
• Backlog stands at roughly 3,600 units including over 900 EVs (912), alt‑power was 41% of Q2 mix and the company raised its EV target to 900 for the year, supporting continued EV demand into 2027.
• Closed acquisition of the remaining 50% of the Micro Bird JV—adds two plants, ~950 employees, integrated EV powertrain tech and Buy America shuttle access, expanding total addressable market by ~78% and increasing FY revenue/EBITDA guidance after consolidation.
• DOE reconfirmed an $80 million MESC grant$300 million new ~1M sq ft Type C plant (production targeted CY Q4 2028) to enable automation, Industry 3.0/4.0 efficiency gains and long‑term capacity.
• Administrative policy and tariff volatility (including Section 232 impacts) remain a material risk—management says it is targeting a margin‑neutral outcome, but continued policy uncertainty could pressure costs or timing.

Blue Bird Price Performance

Shares of BLBD stock traded up $1.65 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $65.04. The company had a trading volume of 588,577 shares, compared to its average volume of 343,467. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.38. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $58.92 and its 200 day moving average price is $54.40. Blue Bird has a one year low of $36.01 and a one year high of $66.13.

Insider Activity at Blue Bird

In related news, COO Jeffrey Scott Sanfrey sold 5,192 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 39,011 shares in the company, valued at $2,283,703.94. This represents a 11.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Razvan Radulescu sold 3,925 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were 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 owned 42,255 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,576,709.90. The trade was a 8.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Blue Bird

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brooklyn Investment Group raised its holdings in shares of Blue Bird by 8.7% in the 4th quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 5,208 shares of the company's stock worth $261,000 after purchasing an additional 417 shares during the period. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Blue Bird by 222.7% during the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 823 shares of the company's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 568 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its position in Blue Bird by 30.9% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 2,885 shares of the company's stock worth $93,000 after acquiring an additional 681 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its position in Blue Bird by 10,028.6% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 709 shares of the company's stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 702 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in Blue Bird by 4.5% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 19,094 shares of the company's stock worth $618,000 after acquiring an additional 820 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.59% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BLBD has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $65.00 price target on shares of Blue Bird in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Wall Street Zen cut Blue Bird from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Needham & Company LLC increased their target price on Blue Bird from $70.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Barclays lifted their price target on Blue Bird from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Zacks Research cut Blue Bird from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Blue Bird currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $67.20.

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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