Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ:BLBD) Receives Average Rating of "Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Blue Bird has an average “Buy” rating from nine analysts: seven “buy,” one “strong buy,” and one “hold.” The average 12-month price target is $85.33, with several firms recently raising their targets to between $85 and $95.
• Institutional ownership is substantial at 93.59%, with California State Teachers Retirement System significantly increasing its stake and major investors including BlackRock, Jupiter Topco, and Bank of America establishing or expanding positions.
• Blue Bird exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.28 EPS versus the $1.25 estimate and revenue of $517.16 million versus $485.73 million expected. Analysts anticipate full-year EPS of approximately $4.68.

Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ:BLBD - Get Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of "Buy" by the nine ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $85.3333.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on BLBD. DA Davidson lifted their target price on Blue Bird from $86.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Barclays increased their price target on Blue Bird from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. BTIG Research raised their price objective on Blue Bird from $80.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Freedom Capital raised shares of Blue Bird from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Blue Bird from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Blue Bird

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its stake in Blue Bird by 7,078.5% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 2,736,438 shares of the company's stock valued at $216,069,000 after acquiring an additional 2,698,318 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Blue Bird during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $207,493,000. Jupiter Topco LLC bought a new stake in shares of Blue Bird in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $94,222,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in shares of Blue Bird in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $63,565,000. Finally, Neumeier Poma Investment Counsel LLC purchased a new position in Blue Bird in the second quarter valued at approximately $51,129,758. Institutional investors own 93.59% of the company's stock.

Blue Bird Stock Performance

BLBD opened at $62.59 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company's fifty day moving average price is $69.87 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $66.41. Blue Bird has a 1-year low of $46.14 and a 1-year high of $83.39. The company has a market cap of $1.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.61, a PEG ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 1.36.

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $517.16 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $485.73 million. Blue Bird had a net margin of 17.48% and a return on equity of 39.97%. On average, analysts expect that Blue Bird will post 4.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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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