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Heartland Express
(NASDAQ:HTLD)
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Rating:46Neutral
Price Target:
$11.50
â–¼(-19.47% Downside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:08/11/26
The score is held down mainly by weakening financial performance (declining revenue and losses with compressed margins) and bearish technicals (below key moving averages with negative MACD). A healthier balance sheet with improving leverage and positive operating cash flow provides some support, while valuation is constrained by negative earnings; corporate events are mildly positive due to continued dividend actions.
Positive Factors
Balance Sheet Strength
Material de‑leveraging to a ~0.19 debt-to-equity and a conservatively financed balance sheet provide durable financial flexibility. This reduces refinancing risk in a cyclical trucking industry, supports liquidity through downturns, and enables continued capital allocation to operations or returns.
Negative Factors
Sustained Revenue Decline
Multi-year revenue deterioration reflects structural pressure on freight demand, pricing, or market share. Prolonged top-line weakness reduces operating leverage, forces margin compression, and necessitates either pricing power restoration or cost base adjustments to return to sustainable profitability.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Balance Sheet Strength
Material de‑leveraging to a ~0.19 debt-to-equity and a conservatively financed balance sheet provide durable financial flexibility. This reduces refinancing risk in a cyclical trucking industry, supports liquidity through downturns, and enables continued capital allocation to operations or returns.
Read all positive factors
Heartland Express (HTLD) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$991.40M
Dividend Yield0.63%
Average Volume (3M)609.23K
Price to Earnings (P/E)―
Beta (1Y)0.84
Revenue Growth-21.02%
EPS Growth38.05%
CountryUS
Employees3,630
SectorIndustrials
Sector Strength72
IndustryTrucking
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)-0.28
Shares Outstanding77,332,610
10 Day Avg. Volume762,387
30 Day Avg. Volume609,233
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio-0.18
Price to Book (P/B)0.93
Price to Sales (P/S)0.87
P/FCF Ratio-10.52
Enterprise Value/Market Cap<0.01
Enterprise Value/Revenue<0.01
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit<0.01
Enterprise Value/Ebitda<0.01
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$12.50Price Target Upside-12.46% Downside
Rating ConsensusModerate Sell
Number of Analyst Covering4
EPS Forecast (FY)0.16
Revenue Forecast (FY)$735.77M
Heartland Express Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Heartland Express, Inc., operating with its subsidiaries, functions as a transportation company primarily focusing on short to medium-distance truckload freight across the United States and Canada. The firm's main services encompass extensive asse...
How the Company Makes Money
Heartland Express makes money primarily by providing for-hire truckload transportation services and charging customers freight rates to haul full truckload shipments. Revenue is generally generated on a per-load basis and/or based on mileage, with...
Heartland Express Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
34
Negative
Balance Sheet
67
Positive
Cash Flow
48
Neutral
| Breakdown | TTM | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 736.28M | 805.71M | 1.05B | 1.21B | 968.00M | 607.28M |
| Gross Profit | 55.13M | 67.54M | 110.16M | 145.28M | 200.69M | 128.24M |
| EBITDA | 102.33M | 102.56M | 162.43M | 243.08M | 322.69M | 210.28M |
| Net Income | -21.96M | -52.45M | -29.72M | 14.78M | 133.58M | 79.28M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 1.17B | 1.19B | 1.33B | 1.51B | 1.67B | 928.54M |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 62.38M | 18.48M | 12.81M | 28.12M | 50.21M | 157.74M |
| Total Debt | 146.40M | 161.42M | 208.61M | 317.44M | 433.96M | 0.00 |
| Total Liabilities | 418.51M | 436.30M | 511.59M | 644.39M | 814.01M | 201.44M |
| Stockholders Equity | 756.28M | 755.32M | 822.60M | 865.26M | 855.48M | 727.10M |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | -85.77M | -66.85M | 34.81M | -43.33M | 34.15M | -9.22M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 78.50M | 89.31M | 144.35M | 165.27M | 194.71M | 123.42M |
| Investing Cash Flow | 30.20M | -26.00M | -46.54M | -67.87M | -663.26M | -2.65M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -69.52M | -58.15M | -112.71M | -120.69M | 359.26M | -78.14M |
Heartland Express Technical Analysis
Negative
14.28
Price Trends
14.28
Negative
13.48
Negative
11.53
Positive
Market Momentum
-0.51
Negative
42.98
Neutral
81.53
Negative
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For HTLD, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 14.28 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 12.92, above the 50-day MA of 14.28, and above the 200-day MA of 11.53, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.51 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 42.98 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 81.53 is Negative, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for HTLD.
Heartland Express Risk Analysis
Heartland Express disclosed 31 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Heartland Express reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks
Heartland Express Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (63)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
63 Neutral | $10.79B | 15.43 | 7.44% | 2.01% | 2.89% | -14.66% | |
58 Neutral | $3.26B | 208.39 | 1.26% | 0.31% | 3.70% | -89.58% | |
56 Neutral | $515.49M | -5.54 | -16.51% | 2.66% | -8.33% | -249.94% | |
52 Neutral | $2.35B | -50.72 | -3.39% | 1.32% | 9.64% | -190.02% | |
52 Neutral | $1.25B | 98.39 | 1.65% | 1.47% | -6.87% | -39.59% | |
49 Neutral | $899.39M | 236.27 | 0.92% | 0.60% | 8.34% | -89.15% | |
46 Neutral | $991.40M | -45.38 | -2.89% | 0.56% | -21.02% | 38.05% |
* Industrials Sector Average
HTLD
Heartland Express
12.75
4.39
52.46%
CVLG
Covenant Logistics Group
34.05
10.19
42.74%
MRTN
Marten Transport
14.90
2.95
24.65%
WERN
Werner Enterprises
38.43
10.18
36.05%
ARCB
ArcBest
138.81
65.96
90.55%
ULH
Universal Logistics
19.28
-4.82
-20.01%
Heartland Express Corporate Events
Dividends
Heartland Express Declares Regular Quarterly Cash Dividend
Positive
Jun 17, 2026
On June 12, 2026, Heartland Express, Inc. announced that its board had declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.02 per share, to be paid on July 6, 2026, to shareholders of record as of June 23, 2026. The company expects to distribute abou...
Executive/Board Changes
Heartland Express Adjusts Executive Salaries and Stock Awards
Neutral
May 19, 2026
On May 14, 2026, Heartland Express, Inc.’s Compensation Committee approved modest base salary increases for three named executive officers, including the chief financial officer, chief operating officer, and chief administrative officer, eff...
Executive/Board ChangesShareholder Meetings
Heartland Express Shareholders Reaffirm Board and Governance Plans
Positive
May 15, 2026
At the May 14, 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Heartland Express, Inc., seven directors were elected to serve on the Board until the 2027 annual meeting, reaffirming the company’s existing leadership structure. Stockholders also ratif...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.