Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) Shares Gap Down on Disappointing Earnings

Shares of Werner Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:WERN) gapped down prior to trading on Friday following a dissappointing earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $37.87, but opened at $34.40. Werner Enterprises shares last traded at $35.0660, with a volume of 144,720 shares traded.

The transportation company reported $0.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.09 by ($0.04). Werner Enterprises had a negative net margin of 0.48% and a positive return on equity of 0.04%. The business had revenue of $737.64 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $767.51 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.08 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year.

Werner Enterprises Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 21st. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 5th were given a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, January 5th. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Werner Enterprises’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -233.33%.

More Werner Enterprises News

Here are the key news stories impacting Werner Enterprises this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $39 and set an “equal weight” rating, signaling conviction in near‑term upside tied to execution and the company’s strategy. Wells Fargo raises PT
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its target to $39 and kept a “hold” rating, another vote that the stock has upside if integration and dedicated business growth play out. TD Cowen raises PT
• Positive Sentiment: Company commentary and the Business Wire release highlight growth in dedicated revenue and the strategic rationale for the FirstFleet acquisition, which management says should support longer‑term stable revenue. Company Q4 release
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 earnings call transcript is available for investors seeking detail on guidance, cost trends and fleet/dedicated integration plans — useful for assessing execution risk. Earnings call transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry coverage notes the FirstFleet buy is a strategic bet that could spark consolidation in dedicated trucking; outcome depends on scale and margin improvements. FirstFleet M&A context
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan cut its price target to $28 and moved to “underweight” — the most bearish broker action today and a major contributor to selling pressure. JPMorgan cuts PT
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup reaffirmed a “sell” rating with a $34 target, keeping downside risk from some institutional desks.
• Negative Sentiment: Werner missed Q4 estimates: $0.05 EPS vs. $0.09 expected and revenue of ~$737.6M vs. $767.5M consensus — disappointing results that directly pressure the stock. Earnings miss
• Negative Sentiment: News that a long‑running drivers’ lawsuit has a settlement ready raises potential cash/legal overhang and investor concern about contingency costs. Lawsuit settlement

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Werner Enterprises from $30.00 to $28.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Werner Enterprises from $31.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Werner Enterprises from $36.00 to $37.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Werner Enterprises from $34.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Robert W. Baird upgraded Werner Enterprises from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $34.00 price target on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $32.57.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Werner Enterprises

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WERN. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Werner Enterprises in the second quarter worth $27,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its stake in shares of Werner Enterprises by 57.8% during the 2nd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,018 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 373 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of Werner Enterprises by 289.5% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,293 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 961 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in Werner Enterprises by 42.0% in the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 2,542 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $67,000 after acquiring an additional 752 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in Werner Enterprises by 41.3% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,324 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $70,000 after acquiring an additional 679 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.32% of the company’s stock.

Werner Enterprises Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.62 and a quick ratio of 1.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.08 billion, a PE ratio of -144.83, a P/E/G ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 1.08. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $31.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $28.81.

About Werner Enterprises

Werner Enterprises, Inc, founded in 1956 by Clarence L. “Chris” Werner, is a leading transportation and logistics provider based in Omaha, Nebraska. The company began as a one‐truck operation and has since grown into one of North America’s largest carriers, offering an array of services to support diverse supply chains.

Werner’s core business activities include full truckload dry van services, dedicated contract carriage, intermodal transport and brokerage solutions. The company also provides value-added services such as warehousing, freight management and fleet maintenance through its network of terminals and service centers.