Werner Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:WERN) Stock Has Average Target Price of $41.54 According to Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is neutral: Sixteen firms give Werner Enterprises an average “Hold” rating, with an average 12-month price target of $41.54 versus the stock’s $32.89 opening price.
• Institutional ownership is high: Institutional investors own 89.32% of WERN, with major firms including BlackRock and First Trust significantly increasing their positions.
• Quarterly results fell short of expectations: Werner reported $0.22 in adjusted earnings per share versus the $0.24 consensus and revenue of $813.36 million versus expectations of $931.12 million, though revenue rose 24% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.14 per share.

Shares of Werner Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:WERN - Get Free Report) have received an average rating of "Hold" from the sixteen research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $41.54.

WERN has been the topic of several research reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Werner Enterprises from $39.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, June 5th. Stephens raised Werner Enterprises to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Susquehanna raised Werner Enterprises from a "neutral" rating to a "positive" rating and reduced their target price for the company from $48.00 to $44.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Werner Enterprises from $37.00 to $39.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, TD Cowen dropped their price target on Werner Enterprises from $43.00 to $41.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th.

Institutional Trading of Werner Enterprises

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WERN. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in Werner Enterprises by 1,361.0% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,921,152 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $56,501,000 after purchasing an additional 1,789,653 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in Werner Enterprises by 17.7% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 10,405,606 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $453,788,000 after buying an additional 1,563,170 shares during the period. Maple Rock Capital Partners Inc. grew its stake in shares of Werner Enterprises by 146.9% during the second quarter. Maple Rock Capital Partners Inc. now owns 1,366,167 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $59,579,000 after buying an additional 812,800 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in shares of Werner Enterprises during the second quarter valued at about $26,042,000. Finally, Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Werner Enterprises by 11.1% in the first quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 3,055,017 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $89,848,000 after buying an additional 304,983 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 89.32% of the company's stock.

Werner Enterprises Stock Down 1.8%

WERN stock opened at $32.89 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The company's 50 day moving average is $38.32 and its 200 day moving average is $37.41. The stock has a market cap of $1.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -43.28 and a beta of 1.27. Werner Enterprises has a 1-year low of $23.06 and a 1-year high of $47.49.

Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The transportation company reported $0.22 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.24 by ($0.02). Werner Enterprises had a negative net margin of 1.42% and a positive return on equity of 1.18%. The company had revenue of $813.36 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $931.12 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.11 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 24.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Werner Enterprises will post 1.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Werner Enterprises Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 21st. Investors of record on Monday, October 5th will be issued a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, October 5th. Werner Enterprises's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -73.68%.

About Werner Enterprises

Werner Enterprises, Inc is a transportation and logistics company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1956 by Clarence L. Werner, the company provides freight transportation and supply chain services to customers across the United States, as well as in Mexico and Canada.

The company's operations include truckload transportation, dedicated transportation, and logistics services. Its truckload business transports consumer and industrial goods using a network of company trucks and independent carriers, while its dedicated operations provide customized fleets and drivers for customers with recurring freight needs.

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