Forward Air (NASDAQ:FWRD) Stock Price Down 8% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Shares fell 8% intraday to about $21.96 on Friday with volume ~257,000 shares (down ~56% vs. average), leaving the stock well below its 50‑day and 200‑day moving averages.
• Analysts are split—three Buys and two Sells—with a MarketBeat consensus of “Hold” and an average price target of $37.00, reflecting mixed expectations for recovery.
• Forward Air slightly missed quarterly EPS (‑$0.28 vs. ‑$0.27 expected) while revenue was roughly in line and up 1.2% YoY; the company remains unprofitable with negative net margin and ROE, and analysts forecast a full‑year EPS of about ‑0.72.

Forward Air Corporation (NASDAQ:FWRD - Get Free Report)'s share price dropped 8% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $21.85 and last traded at $21.96. Approximately 257,291 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 56% from the average daily volume of 585,931 shares. The stock had previously closed at $23.88.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FWRD has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Susquehanna reaffirmed a "positive" rating and set a $42.00 price target on shares of Forward Air in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Forward Air in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Forward Air from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (e+)" rating on shares of Forward Air in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Forward Air from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $37.00.

Forward Air Stock Performance

The firm has a fifty day moving average of $27.12 and a 200-day moving average of $25.44. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $686.88 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.24 and a beta of 1.33.

Forward Air (NASDAQ:FWRD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The transportation company reported ($0.28) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.27) by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $631.23 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $629.60 million. Forward Air had a negative net margin of 4.32% and a negative return on equity of 42.67%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned ($1.23) EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Forward Air Corporation will post -0.72 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Forward Air

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Melqart Asset Management UK Ltd increased its stake in shares of Forward Air by 122.3% during the 4th quarter. Melqart Asset Management UK Ltd now owns 849,876 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $21,247,000 after purchasing an additional 467,482 shares in the last quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH purchased a new stake in Forward Air in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $8,295,000. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Forward Air by 15.1% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,353,608 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $60,347,000 after buying an additional 307,906 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in Forward Air by 1,179.7% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 321,092 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $6,451,000 after buying an additional 296,001 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rothschild Investment LLC raised its holdings in shares of Forward Air by 337,481.3% in the third quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 270,065 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $6,924,000 after acquiring an additional 269,985 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.03% of the company's stock.

About Forward Air

Forward Air Corporation is a leading North American provider of expedited ground transportation and related logistics services, specializing in time-sensitive shipments. The company offers a comprehensive suite of solutions including less-than-truckload (LTL) expedited freight, consolidation and distribution services, container drayage, and final-mile delivery. By integrating transportation management with warehousing, inventory control, and technology-driven tracking, Forward Air supports customers across a variety of industries such as manufacturing, retail, automotive and chemicals.

Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Greeneville, Tennessee, Forward Air has developed a broad network of service centers, terminals and rail ramps throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

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