Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) Stock Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

Heartland Express, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTLD) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $8.60 and traded as high as $10.48. Heartland Express shares last traded at $10.33, with a volume of 406,744 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on HTLD shares. Zacks Research raised Heartland Express from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 3rd. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Heartland Express from $8.00 to $9.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Morgan Stanley set a $9.00 price target on shares of Heartland Express in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Robert W. Baird set a $12.00 price objective on shares of Heartland Express and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Heartland Express from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $9.75.

Heartland Express Trading Down 0.2%

The company has a 50 day moving average of $9.30 and a 200 day moving average of $8.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $800.06 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -22.96 and a beta of 1.13.

Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The transportation company reported ($0.11) earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.11). Heartland Express had a negative net margin of 4.01% and a negative return on equity of 4.37%. The firm had revenue of $172.43 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $209.68 million. On average, research analysts predict that Heartland Express, Inc. will post 0.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Heartland Express Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were given a dividend of $0.02 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $0.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Heartland Express’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -17.78%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Heartland Express

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in Heartland Express by 185.5% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 4,673 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 3,036 shares during the period. Autumn Glory Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Heartland Express in the third quarter valued at $89,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Heartland Express in the 3rd quarter valued at $89,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its stake in Heartland Express by 51.3% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 11,549 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $97,000 after acquiring an additional 3,918 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. acquired a new position in Heartland Express during the 3rd quarter worth about $101,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 53.45% of the company’s stock.

Heartland Express Company Profile

Heartland Express, Inc (NASDAQ: HTLD) is a publicly traded truckload carrier headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa. The company specializes in full truckload transportation, offering dry-van services that connect shippers with customers across the continental United States. Its primary focus is on over-the-road freight movements, serving industries such as manufacturing, retail, and consumer goods.

Founded in 1978 as Heartland Motor Freight, the company has grown from a regional carrier into one of the larger U.S.