Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. Has $41.05 Million Stock Position in Rush Enterprises, Inc. $RUSHA

Key Points

• Vaughan Nelson reduced its stake in Rush Enterprises by 35.5% to 761,066 shares worth $41.05 million, representing about 0.99% ownership.
• Insiders have been selling: SVPs Michael L. Goldstone and Jody Pollard sold shares on Feb. 19, and insiders disposed of 33,750 shares valued at $2.35M over the last 90 days; insiders still own 12.28%.
• Operational and analyst outlook: Rush topped Q4 estimates with EPS $0.81 (vs. $0.69) and $1.77B revenue, and analysts hold a "Moderate Buy" consensus with an average price target of $76.50 (Stephens raised its target to $80).

Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. reduced its stake in Rush Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:RUSHA - Free Report) by 35.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 761,066 shares of the company's stock after selling 418,170 shares during the period. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. owned 0.99% of Rush Enterprises worth $41,052,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Rush Enterprises by 0.3% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,359,238 shares of the company's stock worth $121,524,000 after buying an additional 6,994 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in shares of Rush Enterprises by 38.6% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,173,429 shares of the company's stock valued at $62,743,000 after acquiring an additional 326,917 shares during the last quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Rush Enterprises by 15.5% in the 3rd quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 785,998 shares of the company's stock valued at $42,027,000 after acquiring an additional 105,450 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its stake in Rush Enterprises by 91.9% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 628,855 shares of the company's stock worth $32,392,000 after acquiring an additional 301,119 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in Rush Enterprises by 280.4% during the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 540,942 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,924,000 after purchasing an additional 398,721 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 84.43% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Rush Enterprises

In other news, SVP Michael L. Goldstone sold 4,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.86, for a total value of $323,370.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 12,590 shares of the company's stock, valued at $904,717.40. The trade was a 26.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Jody Pollard sold 11,250 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.92, for a total transaction of $809,100.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 3,385 shares of the company's stock, valued at $243,449.20. The trade was a 76.87% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 33,750 shares of company stock valued at $2,349,450 over the last ninety days. 12.28% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

RUSHA has been the topic of several analyst reports. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Rush Enterprises from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded Rush Enterprises from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday. Weiss Ratings upgraded Rush Enterprises from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $80.00 target price (up from $55.00) on shares of Rush Enterprises in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $73.00 price target (up from $70.00) on shares of Rush Enterprises in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $76.50.

Rush Enterprises Price Performance

RUSHA stock opened at $64.97 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $5.00 billion, a PE ratio of 19.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 0.91. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $67.64 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $58.48. Rush Enterprises, Inc. has a 1 year low of $45.67 and a 1 year high of $75.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

Rush Enterprises (NASDAQ:RUSHA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 17th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.12. Rush Enterprises had a return on equity of 11.96% and a net margin of 3.55%.The company had revenue of $1.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.72 billion. Equities analysts forecast that Rush Enterprises, Inc. will post 3.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rush Enterprises Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 3rd. Rush Enterprises's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.24%.

Rush Enterprises Company Profile

Rush Enterprises, Inc, headquartered in New Braunfels, Texas, is a leading distributor of commercial vehicles and related products in the United States. Through its Rush Truck Centers subsidiary, the company sells new and used medium- and heavy-duty trucks, buses and specialty vehicles, while also offering factory-authorized parts, collision repair, maintenance and warranty support across its network of dealerships.

Founded in 1965, Rush Enterprises has grown to encompass more than 150 locations in over 20 states, partnering with major manufacturers including Kenworth, Peterbilt, Freightliner, Volvo and Mack.

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