Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) Hits New 52-Week High on Earnings Beat

Heartland Express, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTLD)’s share price reached a new 52-week high on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $12.21 and last traded at $12.0910, with a volume of 38339 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $11.58.

The transportation company reported ($0.06) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.13) by $0.07. Heartland Express had a negative net margin of 6.51% and a negative return on equity of 4.79%. The firm had revenue of $176.26 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $177.30 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned ($0.18) EPS. The business’s revenue was down 19.7% on a year-over-year basis.

Heartland Express Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 3rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 24th were issued a $0.02 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 24th. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Heartland Express’s payout ratio is currently -11.76%.

Key Stories Impacting Heartland Express

Here are the key news stories impacting Heartland Express this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS came in better than estimates — loss of $0.06/sh vs. consensus -$0.13, showing improvement from -$0.18 a year ago; this EPS beat is driving positive investor reaction. Heartland Express (HTLD) Reports Q1 Loss, Misses Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Operating efficiency and balance-sheet improvements: operating ratio improved ~490 bps Y/Y to ~101.9% (101.3% adjusted), acquisition-related debt has been substantially reduced and the company reported $44.5M cash and $749M equity — these metrics reduce leverage concerns. Heartland Express, Inc. Reports Operating Results for the First Quarter of 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Some outlets report sales beat or better-than-feared top-line signals, which supports the bullish reaction despite mixed revenue headlines. Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) Beats Q1 CY2026 Sales Expectations
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst previews had flagged a potential EPS beat ahead of results, so the favorable surprise was somewhat anticipated. Heartland Express (HTLD) Expected to Beat Earnings Estimates: What to Know Ahead of Q1 Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Management/leadership update: the president of Millis Transfer has retired (company director), a governance/transition item to monitor but not immediately material to operations. Heartland Express Announces Millis Transfer President’s Retirement
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue weakness: operating revenue declined ~19.7% Y/Y to $176.3M and some reports indicate the quarter missed revenue expectations — a clear downside risk for growth and margin recovery. Heartland Express (HTLD) Reports Q1 Loss, Misses Revenue Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Company remains unprofitable on a net basis (negative net margin and ROE reported), and analysts still forecast a small full-year loss — profitability recovery is not yet confirmed. Heartland Express: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HTLD has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Heartland Express from $8.50 to $11.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Morgan Stanley set a $9.00 price target on shares of Heartland Express in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Heartland Express from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 31st. Robert W. Baird set a $12.00 price objective on shares of Heartland Express and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Heartland Express in a report on Friday, March 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $10.20.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Heartland Express

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Heartland Express by 0.5% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,857,387 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $32,325,000 after buying an additional 17,962 shares in the last quarter. Gate City Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Heartland Express by 8.3% in the 4th quarter. Gate City Capital Management LLC now owns 2,192,807 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $19,801,000 after acquiring an additional 167,962 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Heartland Express by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,961,907 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $17,755,000 after purchasing an additional 35,355 shares in the last quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Heartland Express by 72.7% in the 3rd quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 1,153,238 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $9,664,000 after buying an additional 485,658 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Heartland Express by 18.0% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,090,216 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $9,845,000 after buying an additional 166,236 shares during the period. 53.45% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Heartland Express Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $931.07 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -17.68 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $10.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $9.64.

Heartland Express Company Profile

Heartland Express, Inc (NASDAQ: HTLD) is a publicly traded truckload carrier headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa. The company specializes in full truckload transportation, offering dry-van services that connect shippers with customers across the continental United States. Its primary focus is on over-the-road freight movements, serving industries such as manufacturing, retail, and consumer goods.

Founded in 1978 as Heartland Motor Freight, the company has grown from a regional carrier into one of the larger U.S.