JPMorgan Chase & Co. Raises Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) Price Target to $498.00

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) had its target price lifted by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $490.00 to $498.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the transportation company’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective suggests a potential upside of 41.57% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Stephens lowered their price objective on shares of Saia from $520.00 to $490.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Saia from $450.00 to $470.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Stifel Nicolaus upgraded Saia from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $438.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday. Weiss Ratings raised Saia from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Barclays dropped their target price on Saia from $500.00 to $475.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $453.28.

Saia Price Performance

SAIA stock traded up $1.15 during trading on Friday, hitting $351.77. 461,064 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 493,410. Saia has a one year low of $249.32 and a one year high of $494.71. The stock has a market cap of $9.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.92, a P/E/G ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 2.13. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $439.83 and a 200 day simple moving average of $406.22. The company has a current ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The transportation company reported $3.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.38 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $956.49 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $956.20 million. Saia had a net margin of 7.84% and a return on equity of 9.60%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 17.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.67 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Saia will post 11.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vestor Capital LLC raised its holdings in Saia by 9.5% during the fourth 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 increased its stake 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 period. Wealth Alliance LLC lifted its position in shares of Saia by 5.1% during 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. Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its position in shares of Saia by 0.5% during the second quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 8,858 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $3,731,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Boothbay Fund Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Saia by 3.2% during the second quarter. Boothbay Fund Management LLC now owns 1,401 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $384,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period.

Trending Headlines about Saia

Here are the key news stories impacting Saia this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Saia reported second-quarter adjusted performance ahead of expectations, with diluted EPS of $3.51 versus $2.67 a year earlier and consensus near $3.38. Revenue increased 17.1% to a record $956.5 million, while operating income rose 26% to $125.2 million. Saia Reports Second Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Operating execution improved: the operating ratio fell to 86.9% from 87.8%, LTL shipments per workday rose 4.4%, tonnage increased 8.4%, and the claims ratio reached a record-low 0.3%. Saia also ended the quarter with $84 million in cash and $100.1 million of debt. Saia Q2 Results Summary
• Positive Sentiment: Stifel upgraded SAIA from “hold” to “buy” and set a $438 price target. Stephens maintained an “overweight” rating despite reducing its target to $490 from $520, indicating analysts still see substantial long-term upside. The Fly Analyst Ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo lowered its price target to $400 from $490 and shifted to an “equal weight” rating, reflecting a more cautious view of the shares’ risk-reward profile. Benzinga Analyst Update
• Negative Sentiment: Management expects approximately 100 basis points of sequential operating-ratio deterioration in the third quarter. A July 1 wage increase, higher fuel and purchased-transportation costs, and inflation in insurance and workers’ compensation are expected to pressure margins. Saia Q3 Margin Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: July shipment growth was reportedly about 1% despite tonnage growth of roughly 7.5%, with some volatility following Saia’s 7.1% general rate increase. This raises concerns about demand elasticity and pricing execution. Saia Stock Outlook Analysis

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.