Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) Upgraded to Buy at Stifel Nicolaus

Stifel Nicolaus upgraded shares of Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Friday, Marketbeat reports. They currently have $438.00 price target on the transportation company’s stock.

SAIA has been the subject of several other reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Saia from $445.00 to $490.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating on shares of Saia in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Wolfe Research raised shares of Saia from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Saia from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $476.00 price objective on shares of Saia in a research report on Thursday. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $453.28.

Saia Stock Performance

SAIA stock opened at $347.63 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.27 billion, a PE ratio of 33.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 2.13. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $437.65 and its 200 day simple moving average is $405.81. Saia has a 12-month low of $249.32 and a 12-month high of $494.71. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $956.20 million. Saia had a return on equity of 10.21% and a net margin of 8.19%.The company’s revenue was up 17.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.67 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Saia will post 11.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Saia

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Quarry LP lifted its stake in shares of Saia by 8,400.0% in the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 85 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Saia in the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in Saia during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its position in Saia by 1,612.5% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 137 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 129 shares during the period. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Saia by 46.9% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 144 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the last quarter.

Saia News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Saia this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Saia reported a solid Q2 2026: diluted EPS rose 31.5% year over year to $3.51, exceeding consensus estimates, while revenue increased 17.1% to a record $956.5 million. Operating income climbed 26% to $125.2 million, and the operating ratio improved to 86.9%. LTL tonnage and shipments per workday increased 8.4% and 4.4%, respectively. Saia Reports Second Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its Saia price target to $498 from $490 and maintained an “overweight” rating, signaling confidence in the company’s long-term growth and execution. JPMorgan price target update
• Positive Sentiment: Stifel upgraded SAIA from “hold” to “buy” and assigned a $438 price target, adding to the bullish analyst commentary. Stifel upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Stephens lowered its target to $490 from $520 but retained an “overweight” rating. The target remains well above the stock’s recent trading level, although the reduction reflects more cautious expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Management indicated that Q3’s operating ratio could deteriorate by approximately 100 basis points sequentially. Investors are concerned about a July wage increase, higher diesel, purchased transportation, insurance and workers’ compensation costs, as well as softer shipment growth following a 7.1% general rate increase. Saia Q3 margin outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo cut its price target sharply to $400 from $490 and shifted to an “equal weight” rating, reinforcing concerns about the company’s near-term margin and cost outlook. Wells Fargo price target update
• Negative Sentiment: Reported insider activity shows nine open-market sales and no purchases over the past six months, including sales by senior executives. While not necessarily company-specific, the pattern may add to investor caution.

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.