Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) Upgraded by Robert W. Baird to “Neutral” Rating

Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) from an underperform rating to a neutral rating in a report published on Thursday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have $34.00 price objective on the transportation company’s stock.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on WERN. Wall Street Zen cut Werner Enterprises from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on shares of Werner Enterprises from $24.00 to $23.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on shares of Werner Enterprises from $26.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Werner Enterprises from $23.00 to $30.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Werner Enterprises from $36.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Werner Enterprises currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $31.21.

Werner Enterprises Trading Up 0.9%

Werner Enterprises stock opened at $34.64 on Thursday. Werner Enterprises has a 52 week low of $23.02 and a 52 week high of $37.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 1.59 and a current ratio of 1.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 84.49, a P/E/G ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $30.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $28.46.

Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The transportation company reported ($0.03) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.15 by ($0.18). The business had revenue of $712.04 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $763.63 million. Werner Enterprises had a net margin of 0.85% and a return on equity of 0.14%. Werner Enterprises’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.15 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Werner Enterprises will post 1.27 EPS for the current year.

Werner Enterprises Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 21st. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 5th were paid a $0.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, January 5th. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Werner Enterprises’s payout ratio is presently 136.59%.

Institutional Trading of Werner Enterprises

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WERN. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA acquired a new position in shares of Werner Enterprises during the fourth quarter worth approximately $217,000. UBS Group AG raised its stake in Werner Enterprises by 180.8% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 578,761 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $17,369,000 after purchasing an additional 372,629 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Werner Enterprises by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,514,200 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $195,491,000 after purchasing an additional 90,480 shares during the period. KBC Group NV grew its position in Werner Enterprises by 86.9% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,614 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $108,000 after purchasing an additional 1,680 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue increased its holdings in shares of Werner Enterprises by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 30,464 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $914,000 after purchasing an additional 336 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.32% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Werner Enterprises

Here are the key news stories impacting Werner Enterprises this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Werner agreed to acquire privately owned FirstFleet for $245 million, a deal management says will materially expand its dedicated operations and add scale to recurring revenue streams. Werner acquiring privately-owned FirstFleet for $245 million
• Positive Sentiment: Acquisition increases Werner’s dedicated fleet nearly 50%, strengthening market position in dedicated logistics and supporting margin stability versus spot market volatility. Werner Expands Dedicated Fleet Nearly 50% With FirstFleet Acquisition
• Positive Sentiment: Technical/market interest: recent coverage flags rising relative price strength for WERN, suggesting momentum and increased investor attention. Stocks with rising relative price strength: Werner Enterprises
• Neutral Sentiment: Werner will present at multiple February investor conferences (Stifel, Citi, and Bank of America events), increasing management access for investors but not guaranteeing immediate re-rating. Werner Enterprises to Participate in Three Investment Conferences
• Neutral Sentiment: Robert W. Baird upgraded WERN from underperform to neutral with a $34 price target — an improvement in tone but a target slightly below current levels, signaling cautious analyst expectations. Finviz quote / analyst note
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term earnings risk: Zacks preview suggests Werner lacks the setup for an earnings beat in the upcoming report; last quarter’s EPS missed and revenue came in below estimates, so guidance or results could pressure the stock if weakness persists. Werner Enterprises (WERN) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth

About Werner Enterprises

Werner Enterprises, Inc, founded in 1956 by Clarence L. “Chris” Werner, is a leading transportation and logistics provider based in Omaha, Nebraska. The company began as a one‐truck operation and has since grown into one of North America’s largest carriers, offering an array of services to support diverse supply chains.

Werner’s core business activities include full truckload dry van services, dedicated contract carriage, intermodal transport and brokerage solutions. The company also provides value-added services such as warehousing, freight management and fleet maintenance through its network of terminals and service centers.