Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) Stock Price Target Lowered at UBS Group

Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) had its price objective reduced by equities research analysts at UBS Group from $13.00 to $12.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the transportation company’s stock. UBS Group’s target price indicates a potential upside of 16.94% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other research firms have also recently commented on HTLD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Heartland Express from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Wall Street Zen lowered Heartland Express from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, September 19th. Robert W. Baird cut Heartland Express from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $16.00 to $12.00 in a report on Tuesday. Zacks Research lowered Heartland Express from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Heartland Express from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Heartland Express has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $12.20.

Heartland Express Price Performance

Shares of HTLD traded down $0.01 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $10.26. 470,051 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 603,168. Heartland Express has a 12 month low of $6.99 and a 12 month high of $16.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market cap of $793.56 million, a PE ratio of -36.65 and a beta of 1.35. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $11.90 and its 200-day simple moving average is $13.08.

Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 20th. The transportation company reported $0.01 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.03 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $179.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $181.38 million. Heartland Express had a negative return on equity of 0.92% and a negative net margin of 2.98%. Equities analysts expect that Heartland Express will post 0.13 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Heartland Express during the second quarter valued at approximately $104,523,000. Wallace Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Heartland Express during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $14,687,000. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Heartland Express during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $5,425,000. Punch & Associates Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Heartland Express in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $5,049,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of Heartland Express in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $4,523,000. Institutional investors own 53.45% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Heartland Express

Here are the key news stories impacting Heartland Express this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Heartland Express returned to net income in the third quarter, marking an earnings turnaround from the prior period and offering evidence that cost and operational efforts may be improving results. Heartland Express Reports Third-Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Baird’s revised $12 price target remains above the recent share price, indicating analysts see potential upside if freight conditions and company profitability improve. Baird Cuts Heartland Express Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Heartland reported third-quarter revenue of $179.5 million, slightly below the $181.4 million consensus estimate. The company’s negative net margin and return on equity show that profitability remains fragile despite the return to net income. Heartland Express Q3 Profit and Margin Report
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter earnings per share were $0.01, below the $0.03 analyst consensus. The miss, along with operating-revenue declines and margin strain, raises concerns about the pace of the recovery. Heartland Express Q3 Earnings Flash
• Negative Sentiment: Baird downgraded HTLD from Outperform to Neutral and cut its target from $16 to $12, citing mounting trucking-industry headwinds. The shares also remain well below their 52-week high and below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, reflecting a persistent downward trend. Baird Downgrades Heartland Express Amid Trucking Headwinds

About Heartland Express

Heartland Express, Inc (NASDAQ: HTLD) is a transportation and logistics company that provides truckload freight services across North America. Its operations primarily involve the over-the-road movement of general, non-refrigerated freight using dry van equipment.

The company offers irregular-route and dedicated transportation services to shippers, along with logistics and related freight solutions. Heartland Express serves customers throughout the contiguous United States and, through its broader network, supports cross-border freight movements involving Canada and Mexico.

Founded in 1978 by Russell Gerdin, the company is headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa.