Empowered Funds LLC Buys Shares of 365,954 Blue Bird Corporation $BLBD

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC acquired 365,954 Blue Bird shares worth approximately $28.9 million, giving it a 1.16% stake. Institutional investors collectively own 93.59% of the company.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with one Strong Buy, seven Buy and one Hold rating; the consensus price target is $85.33.
• Blue Bird exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.28 in EPS versus $1.25 expected and revenue of $517.16 million versus $485.73 million forecast.

Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ:BLBD - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 365,954 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $28,896,000. Empowered Funds LLC owned approximately 1.16% of Blue Bird as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of BLBD. Kilter Group LLC bought a new stake in Blue Bird during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its stake in shares of Blue Bird by 210.0% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 775 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 525 shares in the last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Blue Bird by 222.7% during the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 823 shares of the company's stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 568 shares during the last quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Blue Bird in the second quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its holdings in 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 valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 702 shares during the last quarter. 93.59% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BLBD has been the subject of several recent research reports. Roth Capital set a $93.00 price target on shares of Blue Bird in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Blue Bird from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. DA Davidson increased their price objective on Blue Bird from $86.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $86.00 target price on shares of Blue Bird in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on Blue Bird from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $85.33.

Blue Bird Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ BLBD opened at $59.90 on Friday. Blue Bird Corporation has a twelve month low of $46.14 and a twelve month high of $83.39. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $72.57 and a 200 day simple moving average of $66.18. The company has a market capitalization of $1.90 billion, a PE ratio of 7.29, a P/E/G ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

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

Blue Bird 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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