Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) Lowered to “Underweight” Rating by Morgan Stanley

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) was downgraded by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have a $250.00 price objective on the transportation company’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price target would suggest a potential downside of 35.97% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on SAIA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Saia from $349.00 to $365.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Saia from $343.00 to $371.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Saia in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Raymond James Financial cut their price target on Saia from $360.00 to $355.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Finally, Bank of America upped their price objective on Saia from $322.00 to $367.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $349.74.

Saia Price Performance

Shares of SAIA traded down $19.16 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $390.44. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,010,063 shares, compared to its average volume of 558,827. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $348.43 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $314.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.89 and a beta of 2.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. Saia has a one year low of $229.12 and a one year high of $507.39.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The transportation company reported $1.77 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.90 by ($0.13). Saia had a return on equity of 11.32% and a net margin of 8.77%.Saia’s quarterly revenue was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.84 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Saia will post 15.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Saia

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SAIA. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Saia by 7.3% during the 3rd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 532 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $159,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares in the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Saia by 0.5% in the third quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 8,182 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,449,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Boothbay Fund Management LLC grew its stake in Saia by 3.2% in the second quarter. Boothbay Fund Management LLC now owns 1,401 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $384,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. CWM LLC grew its stake in Saia by 21.6% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 248 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $68,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Saia by 3.8% during the second quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 1,238 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $339,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter.

Trending Headlines about Saia

Here are the key news stories impacting Saia this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue roughly stable year‑over‑year (Q4 revenue up ~0.1%; full‑year +0.8%), which supports demand resilience in a weak volume environment. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Pricing strength in parts of the business: LTL revenue per shipment (ex‑fuel) rose ~1.2% for the full year, pointing to some pricing power. Also highlighted by management: network investments and a national footprint that could enable growth. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management to host an earnings call (today) — watch commentary for details on accident‑related insurance costs, market demand and 2026 outlook/capex plans. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains mixed-to-positive with a range of price targets (median ~$367), so post‑print reactions will depend on call color and guidance. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: EPS missed consensus: $1.77 vs. ~$1.90 expected; EPS fell sharply YoY from $2.84 in Q4 2024, driving the immediate selloff. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Margins and operating income deteriorated: Q4 operating income down ~36.9% and operating ratio worsened to 91.9% (from 87.1% a year ago), signaling rising costs and weaker profitability. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Company cited ~$4.7M of elevated self‑insurance costs from prior accidents that hit the quarter; claims/insurance and other cost pressures remain an execution risk. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Volumes mixed/soft: LTL shipments and tonnage per workday were down in Q4 (shipments -0.5%, tonnage -1.5%), reinforcing investor concerns about recovery in underlying demand. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Cash on hand is low (~$19.7M) and 2026 capex guidance ($350–$400M) implies continued material capital spend that could pressure free cash flow despite reduced debt. Read More.

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.