Werner Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:WERN) Receives Consensus Rating of "Reduce" from Analysts

Key Points

• Werner Enterprises received a consensus analyst rating of Reduce from 14 firms (4 sell, 8 hold, 2 buy), with an average 12‑month price target of $33.15.
• In its most recent quarter WERN reported a $0.05 EPS (missing the $0.09 estimate) and $737.6M in revenue (versus $767.5M expected), with revenue down 2.3% year‑over‑year and a negative net margin (-0.48%).
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.14 (annualized $0.56) yielding 1.8%, despite a negative payout ratio of -233.33%, highlighting strained earnings relative to the dividend.

Shares of Werner Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:WERN - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus rating of "Reduce" by the fourteen research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $33.1538.

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on WERN shares. TD Cowen raised their price objective on Werner Enterprises from $31.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Barclays increased their price target on Werner Enterprises from $28.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Werner Enterprises from $34.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Werner Enterprises from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Werner Enterprises in a research report on Monday, December 22nd.

Werner Enterprises Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WERN opened at $31.22 on Tuesday. Werner Enterprises has a twelve month low of $23.02 and a twelve month high of $38.45. The company has a current ratio of 1.95, a quick ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $33.61 and a two-hundred day moving average of $29.70. The company has a market capitalization of $1.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -130.08, a PEG ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 1.06.

Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The transportation company reported $0.05 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.09 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $737.64 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $767.51 million. Werner Enterprises had a positive return on equity of 0.04% and a negative net margin of 0.48%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.08 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Werner Enterprises will post 1.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Werner Enterprises Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 13th. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. Werner Enterprises's payout ratio is currently -233.33%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, COO Eric J. Downing sold 1,428 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.00, for a total value of $49,980.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 57,364 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,007,740. This represents a 2.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Werner Enterprises

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WERN. State of Alaska Department of Revenue increased its stake in Werner Enterprises by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 30,464 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $914,000 after buying an additional 336 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake in shares of Werner Enterprises by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 126,854 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $3,717,000 after buying an additional 401 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Werner Enterprises by 6.9% during the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 6,271 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $165,000 after acquiring an additional 403 shares in the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co grew its holdings in shares of Werner Enterprises by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 64,228 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,758,000 after acquiring an additional 503 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Fund Management S.A. increased its stake in shares of Werner Enterprises by 1.1% in the second quarter. Capital Fund Management S.A. now owns 57,285 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,567,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. 89.32% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Werner Enterprises

Werner Enterprises, Inc, founded in 1956 by Clarence L. “Chris” Werner, is a leading transportation and logistics provider based in Omaha, Nebraska. The company began as a one‐truck operation and has since grown into one of North America's largest carriers, offering an array of services to support diverse supply chains.

Werner's core business activities include full truckload dry van services, dedicated contract carriage, intermodal transport and brokerage solutions. The company also provides value-added services such as warehousing, freight management and fleet maintenance through its network of terminals and service centers.

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