Saia, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAIA) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Saia, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAIA) saw a large growth in short interest in February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 1,733,980 shares, a growth of 22.1% from the January 29th total of 1,420,473 shares. Currently, 6.5% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 797,751 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.2 days. Based on an average daily volume of 797,751 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.2 days. Currently, 6.5% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Saia Trading Up 0.9%

NASDAQ SAIA traded up $3.55 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $417.60. The stock had a trading volume of 79,754 shares, compared to its average volume of 537,530. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The company has a market capitalization of $11.14 billion, a PE ratio of 43.87, a PEG ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 2.04. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $368.49 and a 200 day moving average price of $324.92. Saia has a twelve month low of $229.12 and a twelve month high of $430.11.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The transportation company reported $1.77 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.90 by ($0.13). Saia had a net margin of 7.89% and a return on equity of 9.86%. The business had revenue of $789.95 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $773.82 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.84 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Saia will post 15.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on SAIA. Stephens upped their price target on Saia from $414.00 to $445.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $493.00 target price on shares of Saia in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Saia from $431.00 to $442.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Saia from $349.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Wolfe Research restated a “peer perform” rating on shares of Saia in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Saia presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $380.47.

Insider Activity at Saia

In related news, VP Raymond R. Ramu sold 5,226 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $387.95, for a total transaction of $2,027,426.70. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 3,631 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,408,646.45. The trade was a 59.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Frederick J. Holzgrefe III sold 4,775 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $388.80, for a total transaction of $1,856,520.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,743 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,842,478.40. This represents a 17.35% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 15,533 shares of company stock worth $6,015,055 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Saia

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Saia by 52.4% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,781 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $622,000 after purchasing an additional 612 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its stake in shares of Saia by 334.3% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 873 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $305,000 after buying an additional 672 shares during the period. CWM LLC raised its holdings in Saia by 21.6% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 248 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $68,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new stake in Saia in the second quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Atria Investments Inc lifted its stake in Saia by 6.6% in the second quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 7,424 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,034,000 after acquiring an additional 462 shares during the last quarter.

About Saia

Saia, Inc is a publicly traded transportation company specializing in less-than-truckload (LTL) freight services across North America. Headquartered in Johns Creek, Georgia, the company focuses on the efficient movement of time-sensitive freight for a diverse customer base that spans retail, manufacturing, automotive, and healthcare industries. By leveraging a network of terminals and service centers, Saia provides tailored solutions designed to optimize supply chain performance.

The company’s core offerings include regional, interregional, and national LTL shipping, supported by volumetric LTL and port intermodal services.