Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) Stock Rating Upgraded by Robert W. Baird

Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) was upgraded by analysts at Robert W. Baird from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage currently has a $34.00 price objective on the transportation company’s stock. Robert W. Baird’s target price suggests a potential downside of 0.73% from the company’s current price.

Several other analysts have also recently issued reports on WERN. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Werner Enterprises from $27.00 to $25.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Werner Enterprises from $23.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of Werner Enterprises from $20.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Werner Enterprises in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Werner Enterprises from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $22.00 to $34.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Werner Enterprises currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $31.79.

Werner Enterprises Price Performance

Werner Enterprises stock opened at $34.25 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $30.81 and its 200-day simple moving average is $28.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 1.59 and a current ratio of 1.62. Werner Enterprises has a 1 year low of $23.02 and a 1 year high of $37.01. The company has a market capitalization of $2.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 83.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.07.

Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The transportation company reported ($0.03) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.15 by ($0.18). Werner Enterprises had a net margin of 0.85% and a return on equity of 0.14%. The company had revenue of $712.04 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $763.63 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.15 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Werner Enterprises will post 1.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Werner Enterprises

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WERN. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Werner Enterprises during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in 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 in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in Werner Enterprises by 289.5% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,293 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 961 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in Werner Enterprises by 306.9% in the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,294 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 976 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of Werner Enterprises by 413.1% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,191 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $60,000 after purchasing an additional 1,764 shares during the last quarter. 89.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Werner Enterprises News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Werner agreed to buy FirstFleet for $245M, materially expanding its dedicated fleet and footprint — a strategic deal that increases scale, recurring contracted revenue potential and fleet density for its dedicated segment. Werner acquires dedicated carrier FirstFleet for $245M
• Positive Sentiment: Company says the acquisition expands dedicated capabilities and boosts the dedicated fleet nearly 50%, supporting long-term margin and customer retention benefits in the higher‑margin dedicated business. Werner Expands Dedicated Fleet Nearly 50% With FirstFleet Acquisition
• Positive Sentiment: Scale impact headlines note Werner becomes one of the largest US carriers after the deal, which can improve network leverage and pricing power over time. Werner Enterprises acquires FirstFleet in $245 million carrier merger
• Neutral Sentiment: Robert W. Baird upgraded WERN from underperform to neutral with a $34 target — a mild positive signal but a target roughly in line with the current price, implying limited near-term upside from that shop. Finviz – WERN quote / headlines
• Neutral Sentiment: Werner will present at multiple February investor conferences (Stifel, Citi, others), increasing management access and the chance to outline integration targets and guidance assumptions for FirstFleet. Werner Enterprises to Participate in Three Investment Conferences
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts/wall street commentary note expected earnings growth into the next report, but consensus suggests Werner may not have the setup for a clear beat — keep an eye on guidance and margin commentary post-acquisition. Zacks – Werner expected to report earnings
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen initiated coverage with a Hold and a $31 price target, citing that while the FirstFleet deal boosts scale, it limits near-term upside and embeds integration risk — the $31 target implies downside vs. recent levels and likely pressured sentiment. Werner Enterprises: Neutral Rating Maintained as FirstFleet Acquisition Boosts Scale but Limits Upside at $31 Target

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.