Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price objective on Blue Bird from $70.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Blue Bird in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $65.00 price target on shares of Blue Bird in a report on Thursday. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Blue Bird from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Blue Bird from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and six have issued a Buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Blue Bird presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $67.20.

Blue Bird Stock Performance

BLBD opened at $59.21 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Blue Bird has a 12-month low of $30.04 and a 12-month high of $61.95. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $50.21 and a two-hundred day moving average of $52.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.87 billion, a PE ratio of 14.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.45.

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.00 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.80 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $333.08 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $325.74 million. Blue Bird had a net margin of 8.65% and a return on equity of 57.60%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.92 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Blue Bird will post 3.86 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, 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 transaction of $402,313.76. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 49,087 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,473,493.93. The trade was a 13.99% 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, Director Phil Horlock sold 15,381 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.42, for a total transaction of $775,510.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 225,385 shares in the company, valued at $11,363,911.70. This trade represents a 6.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Blue Bird

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BLBD. American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Blue Bird by 40.0% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,267,131 shares of the company’s stock worth $97,849,000 after buying an additional 647,637 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in Blue Bird by 185.6% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 925,852 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,283,000 after acquiring an additional 601,690 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in Blue Bird by 383.1% during the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 425,214 shares of the company’s stock worth $24,471,000 after acquiring an additional 337,196 shares during the last quarter. Algert Global LLC purchased a new stake in Blue Bird in the third quarter valued at $14,134,000. Finally, Tudor Investment Corp ET AL acquired a new position in shares of Blue Bird in the 3rd quarter valued at $10,932,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.59% of the company’s stock.

Blue Bird News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat — Blue Bird reported $1.00 EPS vs. ~$0.80 consensus and revenue ahead of estimates; management highlighted strong revenue growth and an expanding EV backlog, which supports upside to future electric school‑bus sales. Blue Bird Q1 Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades / price‑target increases — Needham raised its PT to $78 (buy) and BTIG reaffirmed a buy with a $65 PT; analyst optimism amplifies buying interest and supports a higher valuation. Needham PT Raise BTIG Reaffirmation
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction & coverage — Multiple outlets are reporting the strong Q1 and EV backlog narrative, and intraday volume is elevated versus average, indicating institutional or momentum-driven flows. MSN Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data appears to be invalid/zero in the latest release (shows 0 shares / NaN change), so there’s no clear short‑pressure signal to explain the move. This likely has little explanatory power until corrected.
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector/peer commentary — Recent pieces compare Blue Bird to other automotive/EV names (e.g., Tesla) and track relative performance vs. peers; useful context but not direct catalysts. BLBD vs TSLA Sector Performance

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.