Saia, Inc. (SAIA) – What Are Investment Firms Saying About This Stock?

Saia, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAIA) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-one brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have assigned a hold recommendation and fourteen have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $437.58.

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Saia from $295.00 to $285.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 31st. Bank of America restated a “buy” rating on shares of Saia in a report on Friday, September 4th. 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, July 31st. Evercore raised shares of Saia from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Saia from $490.00 to $463.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 5th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Saia

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SAIA. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. lifted its holdings in Saia by 8.6% in the 3rd quarter. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 112,289 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $37,475,000 after buying an additional 8,884 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Saia by 14.2% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 853 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $285,000 after buying an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Saia by 42.8% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 257 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $86,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. Argent Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Saia during the third quarter valued at about $204,000. Finally, Cim Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Saia during the second quarter valued at about $208,000.

Saia Stock Down 1.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:SAIA traded down $6.46 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $335.00. 426,729 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 321,873. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 1.58. The company has a market cap of $8.93 billion, a PE ratio of 32.34, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 2.19. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $348.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $399.47. Saia has a twelve month low of $249.32 and a twelve month high of $494.71.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The transportation company reported $3.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.38 by $0.13. Saia had a net margin of 8.19% and a return on equity of 10.21%. The firm had revenue of $956.49 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $956.20 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.67 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 17.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Saia will post 11.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Saia Company Profile

Saia, Inc is a transportation and logistics company headquartered in Johns Creek, Georgia. Its primary business is less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation, serving shippers whose shipments do not require a full truck. Through its Saia LTL Freight subsidiary, the company provides regional and interregional freight services, including standard, expedited and time-definite delivery options.

Saia also provides third-party logistics services through Saia Logistics Services. These offerings can include the coordination of truckload, LTL, intermodal and other transportation solutions, allowing customers to manage a broader range of shipping needs through one provider.

The company traces its history to 1924, when it began operations in Louisiana.