HTLD

As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q1. Today, we are looking at ground transportation stocks, starting with Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD). The growth of e-commerce and global trade continues to drive demand for shipping services, especially last-mile delivery, presenting opportunities for ground transportation companies. The industry continues to invest in data, analytics, and autonomous fleets to optimize efficiency and find the most cost-effective routes. Despite the essential services this industry provides, ground transportation companies are still at the whim of economic cycles. Consumer spending, for example, can greatly impact the demand for these companies’ offerings while fuel costs can influence profit margins. The 15 ground transportation stocks we track reported a strong Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.1%. In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 2.9% on average since the latest earnings results. Founded by the son of a trucker, Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) offers full-truckload deliveries across the United States and Mexico. Heartland Express reported revenues of $176.3 million, down 19.7% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 2.6%. Overall, it was a stunning quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates. Heartland Express Chief Executive Officer Mike Gerdin commented on the quarterly operating results and ongoing initiatives of the Company, "Our consolidated operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2026, reflect significant operating ratio improvement (101.9%) as compared to the first quarter of 2025 (106.8%) and sequential non-GAAP adjusted operating ratio(1) improvement in each quarter since the first quarter of 2025." Heartland Express delivered the slowest revenue growth of the whole group. Interestingly, the stock is up 23.9% since reporting and currently trades at $14.35. Is now the time to buy Heartland Express? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free. The parent company of brands such as Zipcar and Budget Truck Rental, Avis (NASDAQ:CAR) is a provider of car rental and mobility solutions. Avis Budget Group reported revenues of $2.53 billion,...

Heartland Express (HTLD) could be a solid choice for investors given the company's remarkably improving earnings outlook. While the stock has been a strong performer lately, this trend might continue since analysts are still raising their earnings estimates for the company. The upward trend in estimate revisions for this trucking and logistics company reflects growing optimism of analysts on its earnings prospects, which should get reflected in its stock price. After all, empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements. Our stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank -- is principally built on this insight. The five-grade Zacks Rank system, which ranges from a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive externally-audited track record of outperformance, with Zacks #1 Ranked stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 2008. Consensus earnings estimates for the next quarter and full year have moved considerably higher for Heartland Express, as there has been strong agreement among the covering analysts in raising estimates. The chart below shows the evolution of forward 12-month Zacks Consensus EPS estimate: The company is expected to earn $0.02 per share for the current quarter, which represents a year-over-year change of +114.3%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Heartland Express has increased 126.67% over the last 30 days, as two estimates have gone higher compared to no negative revisions. The company is expected to earn $0.04 per share for the full year, which represents a change of +108.3% from the prior-year number. In terms of estimate revisions, the trend for the current year also appears quite encouraging for Heartland Express. Over the past month, two estimates have moved higher compared to no negative revisions, helping the consensus estimate increase 114.58%. Thanks to promising estimate revisions, Heartland Express currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The Zacks Rank is a tried-and-tested rating tool that helps investors effectively harness the power of earnings estimate revisions and make the right investment decision. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Our research shows that stocks with Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and 2 (Buy) significantly outperform the S&P 500. While strong es...

Track your investments for FREE with Simply Wall St, the portfolio command center trusted by over 7 million individual investors worldwide. Heartland Express (HTLD) reported first quarter 2026 results with sales of US$176.26 million versus US$219.42 million a year earlier, while its net loss narrowed to US$4.82 million from US$13.87 million. See our latest analysis for Heartland Express. The earnings release appears to have coincided with a sharp shift in sentiment, with Heartland Express posting a 1 day share price return of 8.4% and a year to date share price return of 42.4%. This comes even as the 5 year total shareholder return stands at a loss of 27.3%, suggesting recent momentum is building from a weaker long term base. If this kind of move has you looking beyond a single trucking name, it may be a good time to broaden your search with the 18 top founder-led companies With Heartland Express shares up 64.1% over the past year and trading above the US$11 analyst target while some models still suggest a sizable intrinsic discount, you have to ask: is there real value left here, or is the market already paying up for future growth? Heartland Express last closed at $13.03, and based on a P/S of 1.3x that sits above both its peer group and the fair P/S level implied by the SWS model. The P/S ratio compares the company’s market value to its revenue, which can be useful when earnings are negative or volatile, as is the case here. For Heartland Express, the current P/S of 1.3x is described as expensive compared with both the US Transportation industry average of 1.3x and a peer average of 0.8x. It is also above the estimated fair P/S of 0.8x that the SWS fair ratio model suggests the market could eventually lean toward if expectations cool. Explore the SWS fair ratio for Heartland Express Result: Price to sales of 1.3x (OVERVALUED) However, recent share price strength sits against a 5 year total shareholder return loss of 27.3% and ongoing net losses of US$43.401 million, which could temper enthusiasm. Find out about the key risks to this Heartland Express narrative. While the current 1.3x P/S looks rich against peers, the SWS DCF model points in the opposite direction, suggesting Heartland Express at $13.03 is trading well below an estimated future cash flow value of $57.68. That is a very large gap, so is the market missing something or is the model too optim...

Heartland Express (HTLD) reported $176.26 million in revenue for the quarter ended March 2026, representing a year-over-year decline of 19.7%. EPS of -$0.06 for the same period compares to -$0.18 a year ago. The reported revenue represents a surprise of -0.06% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $176.36 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being -$0.13, the EPS surprise was +52%. While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health. Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance. Here is how Heartland Express performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts: Operating ratio: 101.9% versus 107.9% estimated by two analysts on average. Fuel surcharge revenue: $22.44 million compared to the $23.99 million average estimate based on two analysts. Operating revenue, excluding fuel surcharge revenue: $153.81 million versus $152.37 million estimated by two analysts on average. View all Key Company Metrics for Heartland Express here>>> Shares of Heartland Express have returned +11.6% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +9.7% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Heartland Express, Inc. (HTLD) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa, April 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Heartland Express, Inc. (Nasdaq: HTLD) announced today financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2026. Three months ended March 31, 2026: Operating Revenue of $176.3 million, Net Loss of $4.8 million ($0.06 Basic Loss per Share), Operating Ratio of 101.9% (a 490bp improvement to Q1 2025) and 101.3% Non-GAAP Adjusted Operating Ratio(1), Acquisition-related debt and finance lease obligations reduced from $494.1 million in 2022 to $149.9 million, Smith Transport debt and equipment leases eliminated, Total Assets of $1.2 billion, including $44.5 million of Cash, Stockholders' Equity of $749.0 million. Heartland Express Chief Executive Officer Mike Gerdin commented on the quarterly operating results and ongoing initiatives of the Company, "Our consolidated operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2026, reflect significant operating ratio improvement (101.9%) as compared to the first quarter of 2025 (106.8%) and sequential non-GAAP adjusted operating ratio(1) improvement in each quarter since the first quarter of 2025. We are pleased with our operational improvements as we continue toward our foundational goal of an operating ratio of 85.0% or lower. Results for January and February 2026 were challenged by the combination of normal seasonality along with significant negative weather events. Results for March 2026 were better, reflecting improved freight volumes and driver utilization compared to the beginning of the quarter due to ongoing industry capacity reductions and more favorable weather patterns. The positive variables in March 2026 were partially offset by a headwind of higher fuel prices as compared to the beginning of the quarter and the 2025 quarter. Despite the operating loss during the quarter, we continued to have positive cash flows from operations to invest in our fleet, drivers, terminal infrastructure, and to reduce remaining acquisition-related debt, including elimination of all Smith Transport acquisition-related debt and equipment leases. We continue to focus on eliminating the remaining acquisition-related debt from CFI. During the first quarter of 2026, we completed the previously announced consolidation of the domestic operations of CFI into Heartland Express, including corporate and tractor rebranding efforts. We have been pleased with our ability to retain...

NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (AP) — NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (AP) — Heartland Express Inc. (HTLD) on Thursday reported a loss of $4.8 million in its first quarter. On a per-share basis, the North Liberty, Iowa-based company said it had a loss of 6 cents. The trucking and logistics company posted revenue of $176.3 million in the period. _____ This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on HTLD at https://www.zacks.com/ap/HTLD

NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa, March 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors of Heartland Express, Inc. (Nasdaq: HTLD) announced today the declaration of a regular quarterly cash dividend. The $0.02 per share dividend will be paid on April 3, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 24, 2026. We currently estimate that a total of $1.6 million will be paid on the Company's approximate seventy-eight million shares of common stock. This is the Company's ninety-first consecutive quarterly cash dividend. With the payment of this dividend, the Company will have paid a total of $563.0 million in cash dividends, including four special dividends since the dividend program was implemented in the third quarter of 2003. The press release may contain forward-looking statements, which are based on information currently available. These statements and assumptions involve certain risks and uncertainties. Actual events may differ from these expectations as specified from time to time in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to the extent it becomes aware that it will not be achieved for any reason. For further information contact Michael J. Gerdin, CEO Christopher A. Strain, CFO Heartland Express, Inc. 319-645-7060

Wrapping up Q4 earnings, we look at the numbers and key takeaways for the ground transportation stocks, including Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) and its peers. The growth of e-commerce and global trade continues to drive demand for shipping services, especially last-mile delivery, presenting opportunities for ground transportation companies. The industry continues to invest in data, analytics, and autonomous fleets to optimize efficiency and find the most cost-effective routes. Despite the essential services this industry provides, ground transportation companies are still at the whim of economic cycles. Consumer spending, for example, can greatly impact the demand for these companies’ offerings while fuel costs can influence profit margins. The 15 ground transportation stocks we track reported a softer Q4. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.1%. Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 9.4% since the latest earnings results. Founded by the son of a trucker, Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) offers full-truckload deliveries across the United States and Mexico. Heartland Express reported revenues of $179.4 million, down 26.1% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 6%. Overall, it was a softer quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates. Heartland Express Chief Executive Officer, Mike Gerdin, commented on the quarterly operating results and ongoing initiatives of the Company, "Our consolidated operating results for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2025, reflect sequential improvement in operations as a direct result of the hard work and discipline of our team and our professional drivers during the most recent quarter and the full year of 2025. While a trade name impairment recorded during the fourth quarter caused operating ratio to deteriorate between the third and fourth quarters of 2025, Non-GAAP adjusted operating ratio(1) sequentially improved through each quarterly period of 2025. Operating ratios throughout 2025 consisted of the following - 106.8% (107.1% adjusted operating ratio(1)) in Q1 2025, 105.9% (106.0% adjusted operating ratio(1)) in Q2 2025, 103.7% (103.5% adjusted operating ratio(1)) in Q3 2025, and 112.7% (101.6%...

Freight delivery company Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) missed Wall Street’s revenue expectations in Q4 CY2025, with sales falling 26.1% year on year to $179.4 million. Its non-GAAP loss of $0.06 per share was 25.3% above analysts’ consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy Heartland Express? Find out in our full research report. Revenue: $179.4 million vs analyst estimates of $190.8 million (26.1% year-on-year decline, 6% miss) Adjusted EPS: -$0.06 vs analyst estimates of -$0.08 (25.3% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $14.52 million vs analyst estimates of $36 million (8.1% margin, 59.7% miss) Operating Margin: -12.7%, down from 0.4% in the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $834.1 million Heartland Express Chief Executive Officer, Mike Gerdin, commented on the quarterly operating results and ongoing initiatives of the Company, "Our consolidated operating results for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2025, reflect sequential improvement in operations as a direct result of the hard work and discipline of our team and our professional drivers during the most recent quarter and the full year of 2025. While a trade name impairment recorded during the fourth quarter caused operating ratio to deteriorate between the third and fourth quarters of 2025, Non-GAAP adjusted operating ratio(1) sequentially improved through each quarterly period of 2025. Operating ratios throughout 2025 consisted of the following - 106.8% (107.1% adjusted operating ratio(1)) in Q1 2025, 105.9% (106.0% adjusted operating ratio(1)) in Q2 2025, 103.7% (103.5% adjusted operating ratio(1)) in Q3 2025, and 112.7% (101.6% adjusted operating ratio(1)) in Q4 2025. We believe the investments made to improve our internal processes and systems along with the strategic decision to consolidate our two largest operating fleets of drivers into Heartland Express at the end of 2025, have and will continue to allow us to improve our operating results. Further, we believe that this gives us the best probability for success and allows us to better capitalize on potential industry and market improvements in 2026. We believe we are seeing positive signs across the landscape of the transportation industry to reduce excess capacity through both regulatory enforcement and more abrupt exits of capacity. We do not believe that there will be meaningful improvement until some months later in 2026. We...

Heartland Express (HTLD) reported $179.36 million in revenue for the quarter ended December 2025, representing a year-over-year decline of 26.1%. EPS of -$0.06 for the same period compares to -$0.02 a year ago. The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $185.76 million, representing a surprise of -3.45%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +14.29%, with the consensus EPS estimate being -$0.07. While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance. Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance. Here is how Heartland Express performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts: Operating ratio: 112.7% versus 101.8% estimated by two analysts on average. Fuel surcharge revenue: $21.68 million versus $22.03 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -22.6% change. Operating revenue, excluding fuel surcharge revenue: $157.68 million versus $163.72 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -26.5% change. View all Key Company Metrics for Heartland Express here>>> Shares of Heartland Express have returned +9.5% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.8% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Heartland Express, Inc. (HTLD) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (AP) — NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (AP) — Heartland Express Inc. (HTLD) on Tuesday reported a loss of $19.4 million in its fourth quarter. The North Liberty, Iowa-based company said it had a loss of 25 cents per share. Losses, adjusted for asset impairment costs, were 6 cents per share. The trucking and logistics company posted revenue of $179.4 million in the period. For the year, the company reported a loss of $52.5 million, or 67 cents per share. Revenue was reported as $805.7 million. _____ This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on HTLD at https://www.zacks.com/ap/HTLD

NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa, Feb. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Heartland Express, Inc. (Nasdaq: HTLD) announced today financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2025. Three months ended December 31, 2025: Operating Revenue of $179.4 million, Net Loss of $19.4 million and Basic Loss per Share of $0.25, 8.3% Operating Cash Flows as a percentage of Operating Revenue, Operating Ratio of 112.7% (which includes the impacts of a non-cash trade name impairment of $19.0 million) and 101.6% Non-GAAP Adjusted Operating Ratio(1), Total Assets of $1.2 billion, Stockholders' Equity of $755.3 million. Twelve months ended December 31, 2025: Operating Revenue of $805.7 million, Operating Loss of $57.4 million, Net Loss of $52.5 million, Basic Loss per Share of $0.67, 11.1% Operating Cash Flows as a percentage of Operating Revenue, Operating Ratio of 107.1% and 104.7% Non-GAAP Adjusted Operating Ratio(1), $10.4 million paid to repurchase our common stock, $41.2 million paid for debt reductions in 2025 ($337.0 million paid since acquisitions in 2022). Heartland Express Chief Executive Officer, Mike Gerdin, commented on the quarterly operating results and ongoing initiatives of the Company, "Our consolidated operating results for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2025, reflect sequential improvement in operations as a direct result of the hard work and discipline of our team and our professional drivers during the most recent quarter and the full year of 2025. While a trade name impairment recorded during the fourth quarter caused operating ratio to deteriorate between the third and fourth quarters of 2025, Non-GAAP adjusted operating ratio(1) sequentially improved through each quarterly period of 2025. Operating ratios throughout 2025 consisted of the following - 106.8% (107.1% adjusted operating ratio(1)) in Q1 2025, 105.9% (106.0% adjusted operating ratio(1)) in Q2 2025, 103.7% (103.5% adjusted operating ratio(1)) in Q3 2025, and 112.7% (101.6% adjusted operating ratio(1)) in Q4 2025. We believe the investments made to improve our internal processes and systems along with the strategic decision to consolidate our two largest operating fleets of drivers into Heartland Express at the end of 2025, have and will continue to allow us to improve our operating results. Further, we believe that this gives us the best probability for success and allows us to b...