Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) Sets New 52-Week High - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) reached a new 52-week high of $66.13, last trading around $65.62 on Monday with roughly 64,931 shares changing hands and a market capitalization of about $2.03 billion.
• Analysts maintain a consensus Moderate Buy rating with an average price target of $67.20 — several firms raised targets (Needham to $78) while a few trimmed ratings to Buy/Hold.
• Blue Bird beat quarterly expectations (EPS $1.00 vs. $0.80 est., revenue $333.1M vs. $325.7M), shows strong profitability metrics (ROE 57.6%, net margin 8.65%), and analysts forecast FY EPS of about 4.52.

Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ:BLBD - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The stock traded as high as $66.13 and last traded at $65.6220, with a volume of 64931 shares. The stock had previously closed at $65.01.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on BLBD shares. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating and set a $65.00 price target on shares of Blue Bird in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Needham & Company LLC lifted their target price on Blue Bird from $70.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Blue Bird from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Blue Bird from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Blue Bird from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $67.20.

Blue Bird Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $2.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.25, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.81 and a quick ratio of 1.21. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $58.51 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $54.07.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, COO Jeffrey Scott Sanfrey sold 5,192 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 39,011 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,283,703.94. This represents a 11.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Razvan Radulescu sold 3,925 shares of Blue Bird stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 42,255 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,576,709.90. This represents a 8.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Blue Bird

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of Blue Bird by 185.6% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 925,852 shares of the company's stock worth $53,283,000 after acquiring an additional 601,690 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in Blue Bird by 197.3% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 712,707 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,497,000 after buying an additional 472,990 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its stake in Blue Bird by 383.1% in the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 425,214 shares of the company's stock valued at $24,471,000 after buying an additional 337,196 shares during the period. Algert Global LLC bought a new position in shares of Blue Bird during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $14,134,000. Finally, Tudor Investment Corp ET AL acquired a new stake in shares of Blue Bird during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $10,932,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.59% of the company's stock.

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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