Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) Rating Lowered to “Sell” at Wall Street Zen

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) was downgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a note issued to investors on Sunday.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the company. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Saia from $350.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Saia from $380.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $403.00 target price on shares of Saia in a report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Saia from $349.00 to $365.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Saia from $310.00 to $395.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $378.50.

Saia Stock Performance

Shares of SAIA opened at $384.91 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.25 billion, a PE ratio of 40.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 2.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $353.12 and a 200 day moving average price of $316.21. Saia has a 52-week low of $229.12 and a 52-week high of $507.39.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The transportation company reported $1.77 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.90 by ($0.13). The firm had revenue of $789.95 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $773.82 million. Saia had a return on equity of 9.86% and a net margin of 7.89%.Saia’s revenue for the quarter was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.84 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Saia will post 15.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Saia

In other news, Director Donna E. Epps bought 422 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $277.60 per share, with a total value of $117,147.20. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 1,852 shares in the company, valued at approximately $514,115.20. This trade represents a 29.51% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Raymond R. Ramu sold 1,000 shares of Saia stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $266.57, for a total value of $266,570.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 4,902 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,306,726.14. This represents a 16.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Saia

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of SAIA. Viking Global Investors LP bought a new position in Saia during the second quarter valued at about $226,770,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Saia by 1,300.4% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 701,418 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $209,976,000 after purchasing an additional 651,332 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its position in Saia by 35.4% during the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,273,396 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $680,564,000 after purchasing an additional 594,674 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Saia during the fourth quarter worth approximately $130,411,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Saia by 141.3% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 557,129 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $166,782,000 after buying an additional 326,206 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.