Saia, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAIA) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Saia, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAIA) has been assigned an average rating of “Hold” from the twenty-two ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $379.6316.

A number of research firms have recently commented on SAIA. Evercore set a $435.00 price objective on shares of Saia in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $493.00 target price on shares of Saia in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Saia from $349.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Saia from $343.00 to $371.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Saia in a research note on Monday, December 29th.

Saia Trading Up 5.2%

Shares of SAIA stock opened at $404.16 on Friday. Saia has a 1-year low of $229.12 and a 1-year high of $420.09. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $363.53 and its 200-day simple moving average is $322.31. The firm has a market cap of $10.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.45, a PEG ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 2.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.68.

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). Saia had a net margin of 7.89% and a return on equity of 9.86%. The company had revenue of $789.95 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $773.82 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.84 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Saia will post 15.46 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Saia

In other news, CEO Frederick J. Holzgrefe III sold 4,775 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $388.80, for a total transaction of $1,856,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,743 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,842,478.40. This trade represents a 17.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CAO Kelly W. Benton sold 800 shares of Saia stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $389.00, for a total value of $311,200.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 3,157 shares in the company, valued at $1,228,073. The trade was a 20.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 15,533 shares of company stock worth $6,015,055 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Saia

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Saia by 28.4% during the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 4,518 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,475,000 after purchasing an additional 999 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Saia by 31.7% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 923,912 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $301,676,000 after purchasing an additional 222,494 shares in the last quarter. Alberta Investment Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of Saia in the 4th quarter valued at $1,567,000. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV bought a new stake in shares of Saia in the 4th quarter valued at $298,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in Saia during the 4th quarter worth $71,000.

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.