Heartland Express, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTLD) Stock Has Average Target Price of $12.40

Key Points

• Analysts have a cautious view of Heartland Express: The stock has an average “Reduce” rating from seven brokerages, with three sells and four holds. The average 12-month price target is $12.40, above the reported share price of $10.53.
• Recent operating results were weak: Quarterly revenue fell 12.5% year over year to $152.38 million, below the $185.08 million analyst consensus, while the company reported $0.14 in EPS and negative net margins.
• Institutional investors own a majority stake: Institutions hold 53.45% of Heartland Express shares, with several funds recently initiating positions or increasing their holdings. The company also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.02, equivalent to a 0.8% annual yield.

Heartland Express, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTLD - Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of "Reduce" from the seven brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and four have assigned a hold recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $12.40.

HTLD has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Robert W. Baird downgraded Heartland Express from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $16.00 to $12.00 in a report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Heartland Express in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Zacks Research lowered shares of Heartland Express from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Heartland Express from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Heartland Express from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, September 19th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Heartland Express

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HTLD. Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new position in Heartland Express during the third quarter worth about $38,000. WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Heartland Express in the second quarter worth $289,000. Corient Private Wealth LP purchased a new position in Heartland Express during the 2nd quarter valued at about $165,000. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new position in Heartland Express in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $976,000. Finally, Susquehanna International Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of Heartland Express by 13.0% during the second quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP now owns 27,476 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $418,000 after acquiring an additional 3,165 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 53.45% of the company's stock.

Heartland Express Price Performance

Heartland Express stock opened at $10.53 on Tuesday. The firm's 50-day moving average is $11.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $13.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $814.28 million, a P/E ratio of -37.61 and a beta of 1.35. Heartland Express has a 12-month low of $6.99 and a 12-month high of $16.64.

Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The transportation company reported $0.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $152.38 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $185.08 million. Heartland Express had a negative return on equity of 0.92% and a negative net margin of 2.98%. The business's revenue was down 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned ($0.14) earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Heartland Express will post 0.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Heartland Express Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 25th were paid a $0.02 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 25th. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Heartland Express's dividend payout ratio is presently -28.57%.

About Heartland Express

Heartland Express, Inc NASDAQ: HTLD is a transportation and logistics company that provides truckload freight services across North America. Its operations primarily involve the over-the-road movement of general, non-refrigerated freight using dry van equipment.

The company offers irregular-route and dedicated transportation services to shippers, along with logistics and related freight solutions. Heartland Express serves customers throughout the contiguous United States and, through its broader network, supports cross-border freight movements involving Canada and Mexico.

Founded in 1978 by Russell Gerdin, the company is headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa.

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