Susquehanna Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) Stock

Key Points

• Susquehanna raised its price target on Saia from $465 to $470, while keeping a neutral rating on the stock. The new target implies about 8.78% upside from the previous close.
• Other analysts have also turned more positive on Saia, including upgrades from Wolfe Research and Wall Street Zen, while Barclays, TD Cowen, and Jefferies raised their price targets. Overall, Saia carries a Moderate Buy consensus with an average price target of $462.72.
• Saia recently reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.86 and revenue of $806.23 million, both topping estimates. The stock opened at $432.06, and analysts expect full-year EPS of 11.45.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA - Get Free Report) had its price objective raised by equities researchers at Susquehanna from $465.00 to $470.00 in a report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "neutral" rating on the transportation company's stock. Susquehanna's target price would indicate a potential upside of 8.78% from the company's previous close.

SAIA has been the subject of several other research reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Saia from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Saia from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Barclays increased their target price on Saia from $400.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of Saia from $367.00 to $445.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Saia from $500.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $462.72.

Saia Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:SAIA opened at $432.06 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $11.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 2.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 1.52. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $447.77 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $399.30. Saia has a 1-year low of $249.32 and a 1-year high of $494.71.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA - Get Free Report) last released 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. Saia had a net margin of 7.84% and a return on equity of 9.60%. The firm had revenue of $806.23 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $789.08 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.86 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Saia will post 11.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Saia

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Saia by 52.4% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,781 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $622,000 after purchasing an additional 612 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its position in shares of Saia by 334.3% in the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 873 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $305,000 after acquiring an additional 672 shares during the period. California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its stake in shares of Saia by 4.3% during the 2nd quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 32,543 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $8,916,000 after acquiring an additional 1,356 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Saia during the 2nd quarter valued at about $11,599,000. Finally, Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Saia during the 2nd quarter valued at about $13,943,000.

About Saia

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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