Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) Stock Price Down 4.6% on Analyst Downgrade

Werner Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:WERN) was down 4.6% during trading on Wednesday after Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on the stock from $35.00 to $31.00. Wells Fargo & Company currently has an equal weight rating on the stock. Werner Enterprises traded as low as $27.95 and last traded at $28.0210. 162,971 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 85% from the average session volume of 1,085,623 shares. The stock had previously closed at $29.38.

A number of other research firms have also commented on WERN. Zacks Research lowered shares of Werner Enterprises from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Citigroup reduced their target price on Werner Enterprises from $43.00 to $37.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Werner Enterprises from $40.00 to $32.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 20th. Robert W. Baird reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $32.00 price objective (down from $43.00) on shares of Werner Enterprises in a research note on Tuesday, October 20th. Finally, Evercore upgraded Werner Enterprises from an “underperform” rating to an “in-line” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $38.50.

Trending Headlines about Werner Enterprises

Here are the key news stories impacting Werner Enterprises this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Werner reported adjusted earnings of $0.16 per share, matching Wall Street expectations and improving from a $0.03-per-share loss a year earlier. Revenue increased 23.2% year over year. Werner Enterprises third-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects fourth-quarter one-way revenue per total mile to rise approximately 10% to 13%, suggesting improving freight pricing and demand. The company also reduced planned 2026 net capital expenditures to $190 million-$205 million, which could support cash flow. Werner fourth-quarter outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley maintained a Buy rating, indicating that at least one major analyst continues to see recovery potential in WERN. Morgan Stanley rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo kept an Equal Weight rating but lowered its price target from $35 to $31. The new target still implies potential upside, but the reduction signals more limited near-term confidence. Wells Fargo price target change
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly revenue of $825.3 million came in well below the $956.6 million consensus estimate. Although profitability improved, the top-line shortfall raises concerns about freight volumes and the pace of the broader trucking recovery.

Institutional Trading of Werner Enterprises

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WERN. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in shares of Werner Enterprises by 56.4% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 860 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 310 shares in the last quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group increased its stake in Werner Enterprises by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group now owns 9,098 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $312,000 after acquiring an additional 468 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Werner Enterprises by 21.5% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,812 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $166,000 after buying an additional 675 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Werner Enterprises by 185.4% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,216 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 790 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in Werner Enterprises by 40.5% during the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,266 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $96,000 after acquiring an additional 942 shares during the last quarter. 89.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Werner Enterprises Trading Down 4.6%

The company has a market capitalization of $1.68 billion, a PE ratio of -36.86 and a beta of 1.29. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $35.02 and its two-hundred day moving average is $36.13.

Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The transportation company reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.16. The business had revenue of $825.28 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $956.55 million. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($0.03) earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Werner Enterprises, Inc. will post 0.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Werner Enterprises Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 21st. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 5th were issued a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, October 5th. Werner Enterprises’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -73.68%.

About Werner Enterprises

Werner Enterprises, Inc is a transportation and logistics company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1956 by Clarence L. Werner, the company provides freight transportation and supply chain services to customers across North America.

The company’s operations include truckload transportation, dedicated transportation, and regional truckload services. Werner also provides logistics services, including freight brokerage, intermodal transportation, cross-border transportation, and supply chain management solutions.