Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) Stock Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Shares of Heartland Express climbed above their 200-day moving average (200‑day MA $9.27), trading as high as $10.30 and last at $9.95 on volume of about 495,000 shares.
• Analysts are mixed and the consensus is a Reduce rating with an average target of $10.20, highlighted by UBS raising its target to $11 (neutral) while Wall Street Zen cut to a sell and Robert W. Baird remains more bullish at $12 (outperform).
• Fundamentals show weakness: Q4 EPS of ($0.06) beat by $0.01 but revenue was down 26.1% year-over-year, the company is unprofitable (negative PE and margins), and it pays a small $0.02 quarterly dividend (0.8% yield).

Shares of Heartland Express, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTLD - Get Free Report) passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $9.27 and traded as high as $10.30. Heartland Express shares last traded at $9.95, with a volume of 495,272 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $9.00 price target on shares of Heartland Express in a report on Thursday, January 15th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Heartland Express from $8.50 to $11.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Heartland Express from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Robert W. Baird set a $12.00 price objective on shares of Heartland Express and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Heartland Express from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $10.20.

Heartland Express Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $770.73 million, a PE ratio of -14.63 and a beta of 1.13. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $10.66 and a two-hundred day moving average of $9.27. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20.

Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 9th. The transportation company reported ($0.06) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.07) by $0.01. The business had revenue of $157.68 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $194.54 million. Heartland Express had a negative return on equity of 4.79% and a negative net margin of 6.51%.The business's quarterly revenue was down 26.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.12) EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Heartland Express, Inc. will post 0.17 EPS for the current year.

Heartland Express Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 24th will be paid a $0.02 dividend. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 24th. Heartland Express's payout ratio is currently -11.76%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of HTLD. Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of Heartland Express in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its position in Heartland Express by 76.7% during the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,905 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 1,261 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its position in Heartland Express by 185.5% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 4,673 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 3,036 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Heartland Express in the third quarter valued at approximately $89,000. Finally, Autumn Glory Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Heartland Express in the third quarter valued at approximately $89,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 53.45% of the company's stock.

About Heartland Express

Heartland Express, Inc NASDAQ: HTLD is a publicly traded truckload carrier headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa. The company specializes in full truckload transportation, offering dry-van services that connect shippers with customers across the continental United States. Its primary focus is on over-the-road freight movements, serving industries such as manufacturing, retail, and consumer goods.

Founded in 1978 as Heartland Motor Freight, the company has grown from a regional carrier into one of the larger U.S.

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