Blue Bird Corporation $BLBD Shares Purchased by Janus Henderson Group PLC

Key Points

• Janus Henderson Group increased its Blue Bird stake by 41.8% in the first quarter, acquiring 324,710 additional shares to own 1.10 million shares, or about 3.48% of the company. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 93.59% of BLBD.
• Blue Bird reported quarterly EPS of $1.00, beating estimates of $0.88, while revenue reached $352.63 million versus expectations of $335.23 million. Revenue declined 1.7% year over year, but net margin was 8.91% and return on equity was 53.68%.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with seven Buy ratings and two Holds producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $82.17. Recent targets include $86 from Needham, $94 from Roth Capital, and $85 from Barclays.

Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its holdings in shares of Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ:BLBD - Free Report) by 41.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,102,335 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 324,710 shares during the quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC owned approximately 3.48% of Blue Bird worth $62,669,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Blue Bird by 10,028.6% in the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 709 shares of the company's stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 702 shares during the period. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its holdings in Blue Bird by 210.0% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 775 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 525 shares in the last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Blue Bird by 222.7% in the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 823 shares of the company's stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 568 shares in the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in Blue Bird in the fourth quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in Blue Bird by 1,742.3% during the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 1,308 shares of the company's stock valued at $75,000 after purchasing an additional 1,237 shares during the last quarter. 93.59% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Blue Bird Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:BLBD opened at $74.39 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.35 billion, a PE ratio of 18.28, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The business's 50 day moving average is $74.73 and its 200-day moving average is $64.12. Blue Bird Corporation has a 1-year low of $42.95 and a 1-year high of $83.39.

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $352.63 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $335.23 million. Blue Bird had a net margin of 8.91% and a return on equity of 53.68%. The business's revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.96 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Blue Bird Corporation will post 4.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Needham & Company LLC upped their target price on Blue Bird from $78.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. BTIG Research lifted their target price on shares of Blue Bird from $65.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Roth Capital initiated coverage on Blue Bird in a report on Thursday, June 25th. They set a "buy" rating and a $94.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Blue Bird from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, July 25th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on Blue Bird from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Blue Bird has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $82.17.

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.

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