Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) Reaches New 52-Week High After Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• Analyst upgrades: BTIG raised its price target from $65 to $80 and Needham boosted its target to $86, helping BLBD reach a new 52‑week high (traded up to $75.01) amid bullish flows.
• Strong Q2 and guidance: Blue Bird beat revenue and EPS estimates, raised fiscal‑2026 revenue guidance to about $1.8B, and reported improved operating cash flow and liquidity that support EV investment plans.
• Caveats: Gross‑profit/margin pressure remains and several insiders (including the CFO and COO) recently sold shares, which could weigh on near‑term investor sentiment.

Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ:BLBD - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday after BTIG Research raised their price target on the stock from $65.00 to $80.00. BTIG Research currently has a buy rating on the stock. Blue Bird traded as high as $75.01 and last traded at $74.7310, with a volume of 10613 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $65.04.

BLBD has been the subject of a number of other reports. Barclays restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $75.00 target price on shares of Blue Bird in a research note on Thursday. Needham & Company LLC increased their price target on Blue Bird from $78.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday. Wall Street Zen downgraded Blue Bird from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Blue Bird from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $75.80.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Razvan Radulescu sold 3,925 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.98, for a total transaction of $239,346.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 42,255 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,576,709.90. This trade represents a 8.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, COO Jeffrey Scott Sanfrey sold 5,192 shares of the business's 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 sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 39,011 shares in the company, valued at $2,283,703.94. This trade represents a 11.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Key Blue Bird News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results: Revenue of ~$352.6M topped estimates and Blue Bird reported EPS above/near street expectations; operating profit improved. The company also highlighted solid unit sales and demand momentum, which supported the market move. Business Wire: Q2 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Raised FY revenue outlook: management updated fiscal‑2026 revenue guidance to about $1.8B (well above prior consensus), giving investors clearer top‑line visibility and underpinning upside to estimates. MarketBeat: Earnings / Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades/price‑target raises: BTIG boosted its target to $80 (Buy) and Needham raised its target to $86 (Buy), increasing upside expectations and supporting bullish flows. Benzinga: BTIG / Needham Upgrades
• Positive Sentiment: Cash flow and liquidity improved: operating cash flow rose and cash balances increased year‑over‑year, giving the company flexibility for capex (including electrification investments). This reduces financing risk as Blue Bird scales EV production. QuiverQuant: Financial Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call / transcript and slides posted — useful for detail on margin drivers, EV pipeline and dealer backlog but not an immediate catalyst by itself. Company: Q2 Press Release & Slides
• Neutral Sentiment: Municipal EV adoption story continues (e.g., Rio Bravo school district project) — a positive long‑run demand signal but a longer‑dated catalyst for revenues. PR Newswire: Electric Bus Project
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure / mixed profitability: gross profit was slightly down and net income / diluted EPS showed small year‑over‑year declines in some reports, driven by higher cost of sales — a reminder that revenue growth isn’t fully translating to margin expansion yet. QuiverQuant: Margin Notes
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: several insiders sold shares recently (with a small insider purchase noted), which can create short‑term investor caution about near‑term insiders’ views. QuiverQuant: Insider Activity

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BLBD. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its stake in Blue Bird by 210.0% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 775 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 525 shares during the period. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Blue Bird by 222.7% in the fourth 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. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 702 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Blue Bird during the fourth quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Blue Bird during the fourth quarter valued at $63,000. 93.59% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Blue Bird Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $2.50 billion, a PE ratio of 19.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.38. 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 50 day moving average of $58.92 and a 200-day moving average of $54.40.

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.00 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.20. Blue Bird had a return on equity of 57.60% and a net margin of 8.65%.The company had revenue of $333.08 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $325.74 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.92 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Blue Bird Corporation will post 4.52 earnings per share for the current year.

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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