Old Dominion Freight Line (NASDAQ:ODFL) Lowered to Underperform Rating by Robert W. Baird

Robert W. Baird lowered shares of Old Dominion Freight Line (NASDAQ:ODFL) from a neutral rating to an underperform rating in a research note released on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. They currently have $204.00 target price on the transportation company’s stock, up from their previous target price of $166.00.

Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on ODFL. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $195.00 price objective on shares of Old Dominion Freight Line in a report on Wednesday. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Old Dominion Freight Line from $147.00 to $149.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Rothschild & Co Redburn started coverage on Old Dominion Freight Line in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. They issued a “sell” rating and a $114.00 price objective on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price objective on Old Dominion Freight Line from $180.00 to $167.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Old Dominion Freight Line from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Old Dominion Freight Line has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $180.67.

Old Dominion Freight Line Trading Down 3.1%

Shares of ODFL opened at $202.14 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $42.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.85, a PEG ratio of 10.38 and a beta of 1.28. Old Dominion Freight Line has a 12 month low of $126.01 and a 12 month high of $209.61. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $165.35 and its two-hundred day moving average is $151.50.

Old Dominion Freight Line (NASDAQ:ODFL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The transportation company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.03. Old Dominion Freight Line had a return on equity of 24.03% and a net margin of 18.62%.The business had revenue of $1.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.30 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.23 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Old Dominion Freight Line will post 5.68 EPS for the current year.

Old Dominion Freight Line Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Old Dominion Freight Line’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. Old Dominion Freight Line’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.54%.

Institutional Trading of Old Dominion Freight Line

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Old Dominion Freight Line during the 2nd quarter valued at about $371,961,000. Boston Partners purchased a new position in Old Dominion Freight Line during the third quarter worth about $292,599,000. Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its holdings in Old Dominion Freight Line by 637.5% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 1,576,470 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $221,935,000 after purchasing an additional 1,362,697 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Old Dominion Freight Line by 21.6% in the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 4,366,843 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $614,764,000 after buying an additional 776,004 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Old Dominion Freight Line by 21.3% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,544,588 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $499,007,000 after buying an additional 622,275 shares during the last quarter. 77.82% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Old Dominion Freight Line News

Here are the key news stories impacting Old Dominion Freight Line this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat EPS expectations and management raised the quarterly dividend (3.6% increase); company highlighted pricing power and a 76.7% operating ratio, which underpin longer‑term profitability. Conference Release
• Positive Sentiment: Some brokers raised price targets after the quarter (e.g., Morgan Stanley moved its target higher), which helped earlier upside momentum before the pullback. Morgan Stanley PT Hike
• Neutral Sentiment: Top-line dynamics are mixed — revenue beat estimates narrowly ($1.307B vs ~$1.298B) but revenue was down ~5.7% Y/Y and LTL tons per day fell ~10.7%, pointing to weak freight demand that could limit near‑term growth. Q4 Details
• Neutral Sentiment: Regional economic commentary (Old Dominion University) flags headwinds for Virginia/Hampton Roads growth in 2026 — contextual macro risk for regional freight demand. Regional Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: Several analysts issued cautious/negative stances or set price targets below the current share price (e.g., JPMorgan PT $168 neutral; Wells Fargo PT $165 underweight), creating headline pressure and signaling limited near‑term upside in sell‑side expectations. Analyst Notes
• Negative Sentiment: Robert W. Baird downgraded ODFL to underperform (even as it bumped its PT), and other negative/downgrade headlines (reported on MSN/Benzinga) amplified investor caution after the earnings release. Baird Downgrade

Old Dominion Freight Line Company Profile

Old Dominion Freight Line is a U.S.-based less-than-truckload (LTL) transportation company that provides regional, inter-regional and national freight services. Founded in 1934 and headquartered in Thomasville, North Carolina, the company has grown from a regional carrier into a national freight network, operating a broad system of service centers and terminals to move shipments for shippers of varying sizes and industries.

The company’s core business is LTL trucking, offering scheduled pickup and delivery for palletized freight that does not require a full truckload.