Rush Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:RUSHA) Given Average Recommendation of "Hold" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts are split on Rush Enterprises, but the stock currently carries an average rating of “Hold” from five analysts. The consensus 12-month price target is about $83.67.
• The company beat earnings expectations in its latest quarter, reporting EPS of $0.77 versus the $0.72 estimate, though revenue of $1.68 billion came in below forecasts. Analysts still expect full-year EPS of 3.79.
• Rush Enterprises also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.19 per share, payable June 10, which works out to an annualized yield of about 1.1%.

Rush Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:RUSHA - Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of "Hold" from the five analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $83.6667.

Several analysts recently issued reports on RUSHA shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Rush Enterprises from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Rush Enterprises from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $85.00 price target on shares of Rush Enterprises in a research report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Rush Enterprises from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Finally, Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Rush Enterprises in a research report on Monday, April 27th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $88.00 price target on the stock.

Rush Enterprises Stock Performance

NASDAQ RUSHA opened at $69.31 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.93. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $69.02 and its 200 day simple moving average is $63.05. Rush Enterprises has a 1 year low of $45.67 and a 1 year high of $76.99.

Rush Enterprises (NASDAQ:RUSHA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $0.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.73 billion. Rush Enterprises had a net margin of 3.65% and a return on equity of 11.87%. As a group, research analysts expect that Rush Enterprises will post 3.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Rush Enterprises Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 12th will be given a $0.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 12th. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. Rush Enterprises's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.96%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Rush Enterprises news, Director Michael Mcroberts sold 8,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.23, for a total value of $577,840.00. Following the sale, the director owned 16,229 shares in the company, valued at $1,172,220.67. This trade represents a 33.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Raymond Joseph Chess sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.05, for a total transaction of $650,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 41,170 shares in the company, valued at $2,678,108.50. This represents a 19.54% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 12.68% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Rush Enterprises

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Rush Enterprises by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,774,824 shares of the company's stock valued at $203,618,000 after buying an additional 29,375 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Rush Enterprises by 0.3% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,359,238 shares of the company's stock valued at $121,524,000 after acquiring an additional 6,994 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of Rush Enterprises by 38.6% during the third 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. Jennison Associates LLC raised its stake in shares of Rush Enterprises by 166.4% during the first quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 1,121,450 shares of the company's stock valued at $74,139,000 after acquiring an additional 700,511 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Rush Enterprises by 20.6% during the fourth quarter. Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. now owns 1,012,486 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,613,000 after acquiring an additional 173,096 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.43% of the company's stock.

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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