Stifel Nicolaus Has Lowered Expectations for Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) Stock Price

Key Points

• Stifel Nicolaus cut its price target on Universal Logistics from $17 to $15 and kept a hold rating, implying only limited upside from the stock’s prior close.
• Other analysts are also cautious: Weiss Ratings reiterated a sell rating, Zacks Research downgraded the stock to hold, and the consensus rating now sits at Reduce with a $15 target.
• Universal Logistics recently reported weaker-than-expected earnings, posting a $0.13 EPS loss versus a $0.09 profit estimate and revenue of $367.57 million versus $372.30 million expected.

Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH - Get Free Report) had its price objective dropped by analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $17.00 to $15.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "hold" rating on the transportation company's stock. Stifel Nicolaus' price objective suggests a potential downside of 0.79% from the company's previous close.

ULH has been the subject of several other reports. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Universal Logistics in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Universal Logistics from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Universal Logistics presently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $15.00.

Universal Logistics Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of NASDAQ:ULH opened at $15.12 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $398.71 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.02 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.13. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $15.04 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $17.14. Universal Logistics has a 52-week low of $11.73 and a 52-week high of $30.76.

Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The transportation company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.09 by ($0.22). Universal Logistics had a negative net margin of 4.29% and a positive return on equity of 2.65%. The firm had revenue of $367.57 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $372.30 million. Analysts expect that Universal Logistics will post 0.55 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Universal Logistics by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 200,020 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $3,039,000 after acquiring an additional 7,339 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Universal Logistics by 5.3% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 136,107 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $3,190,000 after purchasing an additional 6,854 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in shares of Universal Logistics by 5.0% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 108,268 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $2,841,000 after purchasing an additional 5,136 shares during the period. Quantinno Capital Management LP increased its stake in shares of Universal Logistics by 118.9% in the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 37,766 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $798,000 after purchasing an additional 20,511 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pacific Ridge Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Universal Logistics by 120.6% in the fourth quarter. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners LLC now owns 34,152 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $519,000 after purchasing an additional 18,672 shares in the last quarter. 25.50% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Universal Logistics Company Profile

Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc is a diversified, asset-light third-party logistics provider offering transportation and supply chain solutions across North America and around the globe. Its service portfolio encompasses truckload, less-than-truckload, intermodal, and specialized freight services, supported by dedicated brokerage, warehousing, and distribution management capabilities.

Originally incorporated as Universal Truckload Services, Inc, the company has evolved beyond its core truckload heritage to a one-stop logistics platform.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.