Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) Trading 8.1% Higher on Strong Earnings

Shares of Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ:BLBD) shot up 8.1% during trading on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $54.00 and last traded at $53.7150. 146,056 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 66% from the average session volume of 433,577 shares. The stock had previously closed at $49.69.

The company reported $1.00 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.20. Blue Bird had a net margin of 8.63% and a return on equity of 62.87%. The company had revenue of $333.08 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $325.74 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.92 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

More Blue Bird News

Here are the key news stories impacting Blue Bird this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat consensus — Blue Bird reported $1.00 EPS vs. ~$0.80 expected and revenue of $333.1M (above estimates). Management highlighted solid margins and return on equity, supporting the upside reaction. MarketBeat Q1 Report
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings call noted strong revenue growth and an expanding EV backlog — investors are focusing on the electric-vehicle order book as a higher-margin growth catalyst. Yahoo: Q1 Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Needham raised its price target to $78 (and kept a Buy), signaling sizable upside vs. prior levels and adding momentum from a heavyweight analyst shop. The Fly: Needham PT Raise
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG reaffirmed a Buy and set a $65 price target — another analyst vote of confidence that supports the rally. Benzinga: BTIG Reaffirmation
• Neutral Sentiment: Company materials and the full earnings call transcript / slide deck were posted (useful for modeling and verification). Investors should review the presentation for segment detail and backlog commentary. Seeking Alpha: Presentation Seeking Alpha: Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Company issued FY2026 revenue guidance roughly in line with consensus (~$1.5B); EPS guidance text in the release was unclear — guidance appears not to be a large surprise either way. (See company press release/slide deck for details.) Company Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage notes and broader industry takeaways were published (Globe & Mail / Market commentary) — helpful context but not immediate drivers. Globe & Mail: Analyst Insights
• Negative Sentiment: Notable insider selling was reported in recent periods (several executives sold shares), which investors may view as a modest bearish signal on insider conviction. QuiverQuant: Insider Activity
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional flows are mixed: some large holders trimmed positions in recent quarters, which could weigh on near-term supply/demand dynamics despite the positive news. QuiverQuant: Institutional Moves

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on BLBD. Bank of America increased their target price on Blue Bird from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. DA Davidson raised their price objective on shares of Blue Bird from $70.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $55.00 target price on shares of Blue Bird in a report on Thursday. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $65.00 price target on shares of Blue Bird in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Needham & Company LLC raised their target price on Blue Bird from $70.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $67.20.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Blue Bird news, Director Phil Horlock sold 15,381 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.42, for a total transaction of $775,510.02. Following the sale, the director directly owned 225,385 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,363,911.70. This trade represents a 6.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Razvan Radulescu sold 7,984 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.39, for a total value of $402,313.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 49,087 shares in the company, valued at $2,473,493.93. The trade was a 13.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Blue Bird

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Independent Advisor Alliance raised its position in shares of Blue Bird by 38.0% during the fourth quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 7,660 shares of the company’s stock valued at $360,000 after buying an additional 2,109 shares during the last quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al increased its holdings in Blue Bird by 18.9% in the 4th quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al now owns 30,200 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,419,000 after acquiring an additional 4,800 shares during the last quarter. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC increased its holdings in Blue Bird by 49.7% in the 4th quarter. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC now owns 5,620 shares of the company’s stock valued at $264,000 after acquiring an additional 1,866 shares during the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Blue Bird by 45.3% during the 4th quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 7,702 shares of the company’s stock valued at $362,000 after purchasing an additional 2,401 shares during the last quarter. Finally, R Squared Ltd grew its position in shares of Blue Bird by 11.0% during the fourth quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 4,464 shares of the company’s stock valued at $210,000 after purchasing an additional 443 shares in the last quarter. 93.59% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Blue Bird Trading Up 9.5%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 1.74 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The stock has a market cap of $1.72 billion, a PE ratio of 14.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.45. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $50.01 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $52.45.

About Blue Bird

Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ: BLBD) is a leading manufacturer of buses and mass transportation vehicles headquartered in Fort Valley, Georgia. The company’s core business encompasses the design, engineering, and production of school buses and activity buses, with a product lineup that includes conventional (Type C) models, transit-style (Type D) models and specialty configurations for special-needs and activity transport. In recent years, Blue Bird has expanded its offerings to include zero-emission electric school buses, reflecting its commitment to advanced propulsion technologies and environmental sustainability.

Established in 1927, Blue Bird has built a legacy of safety and reliability in student transportation.