Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) Announces Earnings Results

Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The transportation company reported $0.01 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.02 by ($0.01), Zacks reports. Heartland Express had a negative net margin of 2.98% and a negative return on equity of 0.92%.

Heartland Express Price Performance

Shares of HTLD stock traded down $0.09 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $10.45. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 108,272 shares, compared to its average volume of 601,122. Heartland Express has a 1-year low of $6.99 and a 1-year high of $16.64. The company has a market cap of $807.71 million, a P/E ratio of -37.37 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 1.58. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $11.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $13.08.

Heartland Express Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 25th were issued a $0.02 dividend. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 25th. Heartland Express’s payout ratio is -28.57%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group lifted their target price on Heartland Express from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Barclays lowered their price target on Heartland Express from $14.00 to $12.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Heartland Express from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Robert W. Baird reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $12.00 price target (down from $16.00) on shares of Heartland Express in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Heartland Express from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, September 19th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $12.40.

Heartland Express Company Profile

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.