Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) Stock Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• Heartland Express shares moved above their 200-day moving average, reaching $12.98 before last trading at $12.51, compared with the average of $12.78.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: the stock has a consensus “Hold” rating and a $13.00 price target, with ratings ranging from Strong Buy to Sell.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of $0.14, but revenue of $152.38 million fell short of the $185.08 million estimate and declined 12.5% year over year; Heartland also posted a negative net margin.

Heartland Express, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTLD - Get Free Report) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $12.78 and traded as high as $12.98. Heartland Express shares last traded at $12.51, with a volume of 579,807 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on HTLD shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Heartland Express from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 1st. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Heartland Express from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Heartland Express from $14.00 to $12.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Heartland Express from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Heartland Express in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Heartland Express has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $13.00.

Heartland Express Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $967.40 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -44.68 and a beta of 1.33. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $13.95 and its 200 day simple moving average is $12.78.

Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The transportation company reported $0.14 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $152.38 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $185.08 million. Heartland Express had a negative net margin of 2.98% and a negative return on equity of 0.92%. The business's quarterly revenue was down 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned ($0.14) earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Heartland Express, Inc. will post 0.19 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director David Paul Millis sold 31,402 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.67, for a total transaction of $492,069.34. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 28,387 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $444,824.29. This represents a 52.52% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 41.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Heartland Express

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in shares of Heartland Express in the 2nd quarter worth $34,000. Quarry LP bought a new stake in Heartland Express during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in Heartland Express by 76.7% during the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,905 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 1,261 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings 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 buying an additional 3,036 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in Heartland Express by 18.1% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 6,525 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $99,000 after buying an additional 999 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors 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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