Wall Street Zen Upgrades Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) to "Hold"

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Saia from a “sell” to a “hold”, joining a mixed analyst landscape (10 Buys, 10 Holds, 1 Sell) and a consensus price target of $440.83.
• Saia slightly beat Q1 estimates with EPS of $1.86 (vs. $1.82) and revenue of $806.2M (vs. $789.1M), and management guided to a 400–450 basis‑point sequential operating‑ratio improvement in Q2, pointing to potential margin recovery.
• Corporate insiders have been net sellers, disposing of 15,533 shares (~$6.02M) in the past 90 days, including sizable reductions by the EVP and CFO.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued on Monday.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on SAIA. Citigroup upped their target price on Saia from $431.00 to $442.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Wolfe Research upgraded Saia from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. BMO Capital Markets set a $425.00 price target on Saia in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Evercore set a $476.00 price target on Saia in a research note on Friday. Finally, Susquehanna cut Saia from a "positive" rating to a "neutral" rating and increased their price target for the company from $390.00 to $425.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $440.83.

Saia Price Performance

NASDAQ SAIA opened at $441.26 on Monday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $382.27 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $346.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 1.52. Saia has a fifty-two week low of $244.94 and a fifty-two week high of $457.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.77 billion, a PE ratio of 46.35, a PEG ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 2.12.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The transportation company reported $1.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.82 by $0.04. Saia had a return on equity of 9.60% and a net margin of 7.84%.The firm had revenue of $806.23 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $789.08 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.86 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Saia will post 10.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Saia

In other news, EVP Patrick D. Sugar sold 2,706 shares of Saia stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $386.74, for a total value of $1,046,518.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 9,121 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,527,455.54. This trade represents a 22.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Matthew J. Batteh sold 1,110 shares of Saia stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $375.71, for a total value of $417,038.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 5,360 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,013,805.60. This trade represents a 17.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 15,533 shares of company stock worth $6,015,055. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Quarry LP raised its position in shares of Saia by 8,400.0% in the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 85 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming bought a new position in shares of Saia in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Saia in the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Saia in the 4th quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in shares of Saia by 69.0% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 142 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 58 shares during the period.

Trending Headlines about Saia

Here are the key news stories impacting Saia this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management expects a meaningful improvement in profitability: Saia guided to a 400–450 basis-point sequential improvement in the operating ratio in Q2 as volumes accelerate, signaling stronger margin recovery ahead. Saia anticipates 400-450 bps sequential operating ratio improvement in Q2 2026 as volumes accelerate
• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results slightly beat expectations: Saia reported EPS of $1.86 vs. $1.82 consensus and revenue of $806.2M vs. $789.1M, with management noting upticks in shipments — fundamentals that support upside if the margin recovery materializes. Saia Reports First Quarter Results (press release) Saia reports upticks in Q1 shipments
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts lifted targets and ratings today, providing near-term support: Benchmark raised its target to $500 (buy), JPMorgan boosted its target to $465 (overweight), and Wells Fargo raised its target to $445 (equal weight) — signaling improved sell‑side sentiment. Benchmark target raise coverage Benzinga: analyst price target changes
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call showed operational progress but a cautious tone: management highlighted network expansion and operational discipline as growth drivers while stopping short of aggressive near-term margin guidance beyond Q2 hopes. Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple media summaries and deep-dives confirm the mixed picture — sales strength and network investments offset by cost pressures; these write-ups help explain both the bullish analyst moves and investor caution. Deep dive: network expansion and cost pressures
• Negative Sentiment: EPS was flat year-over-year ($1.86 in both Q1 2026 and Q1 2025), which may disappoint growth-focused investors and help explain profit-taking after recent gains. Earnings recap showing EPS flat YoY
• Negative Sentiment: Technical/flow factors likely contributed: trading volume was below average and the shares are trading near 12‑month highs, which can amplify pullbacks as investors lock in gains.

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.

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.