Several investment firms have updated their stock ratings and price targets on shares of Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ: WERN) in the last week:

  • Werner Enterprises was downgraded by analysts at Citigroup from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating. They wrote, “We are lowering ratings on … Werner .. to Neutral, from Buy, as rising operating expenses are too big a challenge to overcome in a soft freight environment. … We are decreasing our 3Q12, 2012 and 2013 EPS estimates by 22%, 10% and 8%, to $0.34, $1.43 and $1.65, from $0.44, $1.59 and $1.80 as a result of lackluster freight volumes and longer-term margin pressures, primarily from driver wage inflation and higher equipment costs.”
  • Werner Enterprises was downgraded by analysts at Wells Fargo & Co. from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating.
  • Werner Enterprises was downgraded by analysts at JPMorgan Chase from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating. They now have a $24.00 price target on the stock. They wrote, “On Thursday afternoon, WERN preannounced 3Q EPS in the range of $0.33-0.36/share, which was well below our forecast of $0.45 and Consensus of $0.44. Soft TL market trends have continued into September and rising fuel prices are also a meaningful headwind. Our positive view on WERN has been based on a cost side story and solid TL pricing but visibility to both of these factors is becoming more limited. Lacking visibility to improvement in the truckload market and to a catalyst for WERN, we are downgrading the stock from Overweight to Neutral.”
  • Werner Enterprises was downgraded by analysts at BB&T from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating.
  • Werner Enterprises had its price target lowered by analysts at Wunderlich from $28.00 to $27.00. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock. They wrote, “Werner announced after the close last night that it expects 3Q12 EPS in a range of $0.33-$0.36, well short of our forecast of $0.43 and the Street’s $0.44. This marks the first time that the company has preannounced quarterly results in over 4 1/2 years. Werner cited a number of rising cost pressures, the growth of which is outpacing yr/yr gains in revenue per mile. Some of these cost issues are impacting all TL carriers, but some are likely WERN specific. We are reducing our estimates, with FY12 EPS declining to $1.45 from $1.56 while FY13 goes to $1.62 from $1.74. We maintain our Buy rating, however, as we continue to favorably view Werner’s defensible revenue base, strong management team, and high propensity for dividend payments.”
  • Werner Enterprises had its “buy” rating reaffirmed by analysts at Deutsche Bank. They now have a $30.00 price target on the stock.
  • Werner Enterprises was downgraded by analysts at Raymond James from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating.
  • Werner Enterprises was downgraded by analysts at BB&T Capital Mkts from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating.
  • Werner Enterprises had its price target lowered by analysts at Bank of America from $27.00 to $25.00. They now have a “neutral” rating on the stock. They wrote, “Werner is one of the largest Truckload carriers in the U.S. As capacity was removed during the downturn, the market has approached equilibrium in the industry, leading to slight price increases, benefiting well positioned carriers such as Werner. We anticipate pricing gains will accelerate from last year due to the tight market and rising regulation (hours of service, CSA 2010-safety rule changes, electronic log books) though rising costs could work to offset some gains. Thus, remain Neutral.”
  • Werner Enterprises had its “overweight” rating reaffirmed by analysts at Barclays Capital.
  • Werner Enterprises was downgraded by analysts at Avondale Partners from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating.

Werner Enterprises, Inc. traded up 1.42% on Wednesday, hitting $22.13. Werner Enterprises, Inc. has a 1-year low of $19.78 and a 1-year high of $26.67. The company has a market cap of $1.613 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.45.

Werner Enterprises, Inc. is a transportation and logistics company engaged in hauling truckload shipments of general commodities in both interstate and intrastate commerce.