BTIG Research Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) Stock

Key Points

• BTIG Research raised Blue Bird’s price target to $95 from $80 and maintained a “buy” rating, implying 23.49% upside from the prior close. The broader analyst consensus is “Moderate Buy,” with an average target of $84.67.
• Blue Bird exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $517.2 million in revenue and $1.28 in adjusted earnings per share, while unit sales rose significantly 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 an additional long-term revenue stream.

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD - Get Free Report) had its price objective boosted by investment analysts at BTIG Research from $80.00 to $95.00 in a research note issued on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm currently has a "buy" rating on the stock. BTIG Research's target price points to a potential upside of 23.49% from the company's previous close.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on BLBD. Roth Capital began coverage on Blue Bird in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. They set a "buy" rating and a $94.00 price target on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Blue Bird from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $86.00 price objective on shares of Blue Bird in a research report on Thursday. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Blue Bird from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Finally, DA Davidson set a $86.00 target price on Blue Bird in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $84.67.

Blue Bird Stock Performance

Shares of BLBD stock opened at $76.93 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.90, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.36. Blue Bird has a one year low of $42.95 and a one year high of $83.39. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $75.19 and its 200-day simple moving average is $64.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a current ratio of 1.83.

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.03. Blue Bird had a return on equity of 53.68% and a net margin of 8.91%.The firm had revenue of $517.16 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $485.73 million. Equities analysts anticipate that Blue Bird will post 4.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Blue Bird

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Blue Bird by 85.5% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 629 shares of the company's stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 290 shares during the period. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC acquired a new stake in Blue Bird in the first quarter worth about $2,439,000. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in Blue Bird by 3.8% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 529,345 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,062,000 after buying an additional 19,576 shares in the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its stake in Blue Bird by 41.8% during the 1st quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 1,102,335 shares of the company's stock valued at $62,669,000 after buying an additional 324,710 shares during the period. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in shares of Blue Bird by 26.4% during the 1st quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 38,120 shares of the company's stock worth $2,165,000 after buying an additional 7,961 shares in the last quarter. 93.59% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Blue Bird News

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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