Rush Enterprises (NASDAQ:RUSHA) Sets New 12-Month High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Rush Enterprises hit a new 52-week high of $76.45 (last at $75.16) on volume of 38,805 shares; the stock has a market cap of $5.78 billion and a P/E of 22.99.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed — the consensus rating is Hold with an average price target of $76.50 (two Buys, one Hold, one Sell), including recent upgrades and downgrades from firms like Stephens and Zacks.
• The company reported an EPS beat ($0.81 vs. $0.69 est.) and $1.77B in revenue, pays a $0.19 quarterly dividend (1.0% yield), but insiders sold 33,750 shares (~$2.35M) in the past three months while institutions own 84.43% of shares.

Rush Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:RUSHA - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $76.45 and last traded at $75.16, with a volume of 38805 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $73.74.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

RUSHA has been the topic of several research reports. Zacks Research cut Rush Enterprises from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Stephens restated 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. Weiss Ratings upgraded Rush Enterprises from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $73.00 target price (up from $70.00) on shares of Rush Enterprises in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Rush Enterprises from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $76.50.

Rush Enterprises Trading Up 1.9%

The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $68.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $60.15. The stock has a market cap of $5.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 1.40 and a quick ratio of 0.37.

Rush Enterprises (NASDAQ:RUSHA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.12. Rush Enterprises had a return on equity of 11.96% and a net margin of 3.55%.The firm had revenue of $1.77 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.72 billion. Equities analysts forecast that Rush Enterprises, Inc. will post 3.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Rush Enterprises Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd were given a $0.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Rush Enterprises's dividend payout ratio is presently 23.24%.

Insider Transactions at Rush Enterprises

In other news, SVP Jody Pollard sold 11,250 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.92, for a total value of $809,100.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 3,385 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $243,449.20. This represents a 76.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Michael Mcroberts sold 8,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.81, for a total value of $566,480.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 16,229 shares in the company, valued at $1,149,175.49. The trade was a 33.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 33,750 shares of company stock worth $2,349,450 over the last three months. Company insiders own 12.68% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rush Enterprises

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Rush Enterprises by 250.0% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 511 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 365 shares during the period. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Rush Enterprises by 495.4% in the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 518 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 431 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its stake in shares of Rush Enterprises by 211.4% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 545 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 370 shares during the period. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Rush Enterprises in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP boosted its stake in shares of Rush Enterprises by 5,790.9% in the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 648 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 637 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.43% of the company's stock.

About Rush Enterprises

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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