Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Stephens

Key Points

• Stephens upgraded Saia to “strong-buy”, making it the latest analyst firm to turn more bullish on the trucking company.
• Other recent analyst moves were mixed but generally positive, with firms like UBS, Evercore, Raymond James, TD Cowen, and Barclays adjusting targets and ratings. MarketBeat says the overall consensus remains “Hold” with a target price of $460.50.
• Saia reported better-than-expected Q1 results, posting EPS of $1.86 versus estimates of $1.82 and revenue of $806.23 million versus $789.08 million expected. Shares opened at $414.65, below the stock’s 52-week high of $494.71.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Stephens to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Raymond James Financial reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $477.00 target price on shares of Saia in a research note on Friday, May 1st. TD Cowen boosted their target price on Saia from $367.00 to $445.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group upped their target price on Saia from $493.00 to $527.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. Evercore raised shares of Saia from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Saia from $400.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $460.50.

Saia Stock Performance

Shares of SAIA stock opened at $414.65 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $11.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.56, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 2.13. Saia has a fifty-two week low of $249.32 and a fifty-two week high of $494.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 1.52 and a current ratio of 1.52. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $448.57 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $397.22.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The transportation company reported $1.86 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.82 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $806.23 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $789.08 million. Saia had a net margin of 7.84% and a return on equity of 9.60%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.86 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Saia will post 11.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Saia

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of SAIA. Vestor Capital LLC lifted its stake in Saia by 9.5% during the 4th quarter. Vestor Capital LLC now owns 323 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $96,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Saia by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 563 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $184,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Alliance LLC boosted its holdings in Saia by 5.1% in the first quarter. Wealth Alliance LLC now owns 763 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $268,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Boothbay Fund Management LLC raised its stake in Saia by 3.2% during the 2nd quarter. Boothbay Fund Management LLC now owns 1,401 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $384,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vident Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of Saia by 4.4% in the 2nd quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 1,075 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $295,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the last quarter.

Saia Company Profile

Saia, Inc is a publicly traded transportation company specializing in less-than-truckload (LTL) freight services across North America. Headquartered in Johns Creek, Georgia, the company focuses on the efficient movement of time-sensitive freight for a diverse customer base that spans retail, manufacturing, automotive, and healthcare industries. By leveraging a network of terminals and service centers, Saia provides tailored solutions designed to optimize supply chain performance.

The company's core offerings include regional, interregional, and national LTL shipping, supported by volumetric LTL and port intermodal services.

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