Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) Rating Lowered to Hold at Evercore ISI

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) was downgraded by investment analysts at Evercore ISI from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, MarketBeat.com reports.

Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on SAIA. Wolfe Research reiterated a “peer perform” rating on shares of Saia in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Saia in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Saia from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 20th. Stephens raised Saia from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $308.00 to $414.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of Saia in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $342.45.

Saia Trading Up 0.5%

NASDAQ SAIA opened at $358.22 on Tuesday. Saia has a 12 month low of $229.12 and a 12 month high of $538.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $315.46 and its 200-day moving average price is $305.47. The stock has a market cap of $9.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.83 and a beta of 2.09.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The transportation company reported $2.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.53 by $0.28. Saia had a return on equity of 11.32% and a net margin of 8.77%.The firm had revenue of $839.64 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $824.06 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.46 EPS. Saia’s quarterly revenue was down .3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Saia will post 15.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Saia

In other Saia news, Director Donna E. Epps acquired 422 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $277.60 per share, for a total transaction of $117,147.20. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 1,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $514,115.20. This trade represents a 29.51% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Raymond R. Ramu sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $266.57, for a total transaction of $266,570.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 4,902 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,306,726.14. This trade represents a 16.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Saia

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SAIA. Thrive Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Saia by 8.3% in the 4th quarter. Thrive Wealth Management LLC now owns 818 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $267,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its stake in shares of Saia by 309.8% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 19,817 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $6,471,000 after buying an additional 14,981 shares during the period. Gradient Investments LLC raised its stake in shares of Saia by 5.9% in the fourth quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 5,068 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,655,000 after buying an additional 284 shares during the period. Procyon Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Saia during the 4th quarter valued at about $215,000. Finally, Park Avenue Securities LLC grew its stake in shares of Saia by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 2,369 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $774,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period.

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.