Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) Posts Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.02 EPS

Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The transportation company reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.03 by ($0.02), Zacks reports. The business had revenue of $179.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $181.38 million. Heartland Express had a positive return on equity of 0.30% and a negative net margin of 1.77%.

Heartland Express Stock Performance

NASDAQ:HTLD opened at $10.26 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $11.86 and a 200 day moving average price of $13.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $793.44 million, a P/E ratio of -64.12 and a beta of 1.35. Heartland Express has a 12-month low of $6.99 and a 12-month high of $16.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Heartland Express Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Friday, September 25th were given a dividend of $0.02 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 25th. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Heartland Express’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -50.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on HTLD shares. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Heartland Express from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Heartland Express in a research report on Monday, September 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Heartland Express from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Heartland Express from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on Heartland Express from $14.00 to $12.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $12.20.

Key Stories Impacting Heartland Express

Here are the key news stories impacting Heartland Express this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Heartland Express returned to profitability. Third-quarter 2026 net income was $1.0 million, or $0.01 per share, compared with a $8.3 million loss in the prior-year quarter. The operating ratio improved to 98.7% from 103.7%, indicating better cost control. Heartland Express Posts Third-Quarter Net Income
• Positive Sentiment: Capital allocation provided support. The company repurchased 183,371 shares for $2.2 million, paid down $35 million of acquisition-related debt and maintained its $0.02 quarterly dividend. Cash was $48.5 million versus $99.9 million of debt at September 30.
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS lowered its price target to $12 from $13 while keeping a Neutral rating. The target still implies potential upside, but the reduction reflects a more cautious outlook. Baird previously cut its target to $12 from $16 and downgraded HTLD from Outperform to Neutral. Baird Cuts Heartland Express Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly results missed expectations. Revenue fell to $179.5 million from $196.5 million a year earlier and missed the $181.4 million consensus estimate. EPS of $0.01 was below the $0.03 forecast, highlighting continued margin and freight-demand challenges.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts cited trucking-industry headwinds. The downgrades and lower targets suggest limited near-term earnings visibility despite the turnaround to profitability.

About Heartland Express

Heartland Express, Inc is a North American truckload carrier that provides freight transportation services primarily through an asset-based fleet of tractors and dry van trailers. The company transports general commodities, including consumer and industrial goods, over irregular routes and short- to medium-length hauls.

The company serves customers throughout the contiguous United States and also provides cross-border transportation services involving Mexico and Canada. Its offerings include standard truckload transportation, dedicated capacity, expedited and regional services, and logistics support designed to help shippers manage freight movements and supply chains.

Heartland Express was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa.