Forward Air (NASDAQ:FWRD) Major Shareholder Cetus Capital Vi, L.P. Sells 75,000 Shares

Forward Air Corporation (NASDAQ:FWRD) major shareholder Cetus Capital Vi, L.P. sold 75,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.85, for a total transaction of $1,638,750.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 3,313,709 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $72,404,541.65. This represents a 2.21% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Major shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Forward Air Stock Up 1.6%

FWRD stock opened at $27.24 on Wednesday. Forward Air Corporation has a twelve month low of $9.78 and a twelve month high of $32.47. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.73. The company has a market cap of $851.25 million, a PE ratio of -7.08 and a beta of 1.35. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $27.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $25.71.

Forward Air News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Forward Air this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cetus Capital increased its stake in October by acquiring 225,000 shares at about $17.93 each (a ~7.1% bump to its holdings), which can be read as a vote of confidence from a major holder. Cetus Capital acquisition filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Forward Air is scheduled to report quarterly earnings soon, which is a routine catalyst that could move the stock depending on results and guidance. Earnings projection notice
• Neutral Sentiment: Public short-interest data shows effectively zero reported short interest and a 0.0 days-to-cover figure — this looks like an anomalous/empty data print and is unlikely to be a meaningful immediate driver. (No external article link available.)
• Negative Sentiment: Cetus Capital subsequently sold multiple blocks totaling roughly 302k shares across November (and an additional October sale), representing a several-percent reduction in its stake and proceeds of roughly $6M — heavy insider selling from a large holder can weigh on sentiment. Cetus Capital sale filings
• Negative Sentiment: Market writeups flag fundamental pressure: analysis highlights that AI-related costs and other operational headwinds could compress margins and that Forward Air faces broader challenges beyond AI alone — this type of critique can prompt caution among investors ahead of earnings. Margin and fundamentals analysis
• Negative Sentiment: News outlets summarized the recent Cetus sell-off as several million dollars of sales (reporting ~ $5.94M), reinforcing headlines around insider selling that can pressure the stock. Investing.com summary of Cetus sales

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on FWRD. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Forward Air from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Susquehanna lifted their target price on shares of Forward Air from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Forward Air in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Forward Air in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Forward Air from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Forward Air presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $35.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Melqart Asset Management UK Ltd raised its position in Forward Air by 122.3% in the 4th quarter. Melqart Asset Management UK Ltd now owns 849,876 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $21,247,000 after purchasing an additional 467,482 shares during the last quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH acquired a new stake in shares of Forward Air in the third quarter valued at $8,295,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Forward Air by 15.1% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,353,608 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $60,347,000 after buying an additional 307,906 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in Forward Air by 1,179.7% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 321,092 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $6,451,000 after buying an additional 296,001 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rothschild Investment LLC lifted its position in Forward Air by 337,481.3% during the 3rd quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 270,065 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $6,924,000 after buying an additional 269,985 shares in the last quarter. 97.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Forward Air Company Profile

Forward Air Corporation is a leading North American provider of expedited ground transportation and related logistics services, specializing in time-sensitive shipments. The company offers a comprehensive suite of solutions including less-than-truckload (LTL) expedited freight, consolidation and distribution services, container drayage, and final-mile delivery. By integrating transportation management with warehousing, inventory control, and technology-driven tracking, Forward Air supports customers across a variety of industries such as manufacturing, retail, automotive and chemicals.

Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Greeneville, Tennessee, Forward Air has developed a broad network of service centers, terminals and rail ramps throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.