Old Dominion Freight Line (NASDAQ:ODFL) Cut to Underperform at Robert W. Baird

Robert W. Baird downgraded shares of Old Dominion Freight Line (NASDAQ:ODFL) from a neutral rating to an underperform rating in a research report report published on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. Robert W. Baird currently has $204.00 target price on the transportation company’s stock, up from their previous target price of $166.00.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Barclays set a $165.00 price objective on Old Dominion Freight Line and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Evercore set a $150.00 price target on shares of Old Dominion Freight Line and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $209.00 price objective (up previously from $190.00) on shares of Old Dominion Freight Line in a report on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Old Dominion Freight Line from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn initiated coverage on shares of Old Dominion Freight Line in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. They issued a “sell” rating and a $114.00 target price for the company. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Old Dominion Freight Line currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $185.46.

Old Dominion Freight Line Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:ODFL opened at $202.47 on Thursday. Old Dominion Freight Line has a 52 week low of $126.01 and a 52 week high of $209.61. The company’s 50 day moving average is $166.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $151.67. The company has a market cap of $42.34 billion, a PE ratio of 41.92, a P/E/G ratio of 10.20 and a beta of 1.28.

Old Dominion Freight Line (NASDAQ:ODFL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The transportation company reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $1.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.30 billion. Old Dominion Freight Line had a net margin of 18.62% and a return on equity of 24.03%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.23 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Old Dominion Freight Line will post 5.68 EPS for the current year.

Old Dominion Freight Line Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a $0.29 dividend. This is a boost from Old Dominion Freight Line’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Old Dominion Freight Line’s payout ratio is presently 23.19%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ODFL. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Old Dominion Freight Line during the second quarter worth $26,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. raised its position in Old Dominion Freight Line by 175.7% during the 3rd quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 193 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Old Dominion Freight Line by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 196 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the period. Rossby Financial LCC purchased a new stake in shares of Old Dominion Freight Line in the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Raiffeisen Bank International AG purchased a new stake in shares of Old Dominion Freight Line in the third quarter valued at about $37,000. 77.82% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Old Dominion Freight Line News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Old Dominion Freight Line this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results modestly beat expectations (EPS $1.09 vs. $1.06) and management set cautious Q1 revenue guidance ($1.25B–$1.30B), signaling the freight market may be stabilizing — investors viewed this as the start of a recovery. Old Dominion Freight Line: Already Trading On A Strong Recovery
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts raised estimates/price targets after the quarter and called out the beat — the aggregate analyst activity (raises from Jefferies, Evercore, TD Cowen and others) supported upside momentum. Analysts Boost Their Forecasts After Better-Than-Expected Q4 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: A large, high-profile price-target upgrade (reported coverage on the Morgan Stanley move) produced an outsized intraday jump earlier in the week, amplifying follow-through buying. Old Dominion Climbs 9.89% as Morgan Stanley Hikes PT
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry commentary and management commentary point to early signs of improvement — “freight market starting to feel a little bit better” — but language remains cautious and recovery is described as early/still uneven. Old Dominion: Freight market ‘starting to feel a little bit better’
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst activity: Citi reaffirmed neutral with a $216 PT while other shops moved ratings/targets (some to “hold”/“in-line”) — this broad but mixed analyst reaction keeps sentiment balanced rather than uniformly bullish. Citi Reaffirms Neutral
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue declined 5.7% Y/Y and LTL tons per day fell ~10.7% — volume weakness remains the primary headwind and a key reason some analysts trimmed ratings or kept conservative targets. Analyst note on volume declines
• Negative Sentiment: Some sell-side moves are negative: Robert W. Baird downgraded to underperform and other firms (Wells Fargo, JPMorgan in context) left targets below the current share price, creating downside risk if volume recovery stalls. Baird Downgrades Old Dominion
• Negative Sentiment: Regional economic commentary (Old Dominion University forecast) points to slowing local growth, a modest macro risk for freight demand if softening extends. Old Dominion University Economic Forecast

About Old Dominion Freight Line

Old Dominion Freight Line is a U.S.-based less-than-truckload (LTL) transportation company that provides regional, inter-regional and national freight services. Founded in 1934 and headquartered in Thomasville, North Carolina, the company has grown from a regional carrier into a national freight network, operating a broad system of service centers and terminals to move shipments for shippers of varying sizes and industries.

The company’s core business is LTL trucking, offering scheduled pickup and delivery for palletized freight that does not require a full truckload.