Barclays Increases Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) Price Target to $400.00

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) had its price target upped by research analysts at Barclays from $380.00 to $400.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the transportation company’s stock. Barclays‘s target price would suggest a potential upside of 1.09% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. Wolfe Research reiterated a “peer perform” rating on shares of Saia in a report on Thursday, January 8th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Saia from $350.00 to $415.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Saia in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of Saia in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley downgraded Saia from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $250.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $363.35.

Saia Stock Performance

Shares of SAIA stock opened at $395.70 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $349.78 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $314.82. Saia has a one year low of $229.12 and a one year high of $507.39. The stock has a market cap of $10.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.37 and a beta of 2.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 1.68.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The transportation company reported $1.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.90 by ($0.13). The firm had revenue of $789.95 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $773.82 million. Saia had a net margin of 8.77% and a return on equity of 11.32%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.84 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Saia will post 15.46 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Saia news, VP Raymond R. Ramu sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $266.57, for a total value of $266,570.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 4,902 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,306,726.14. The trade was a 16.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Donna E. Epps bought 422 shares of Saia stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was bought 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $514,115.20. The trade was a 29.51% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Saia by 5.8% during the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 563 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $184,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Saia by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 8,182 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,449,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. Boothbay Fund Management LLC increased its stake in Saia by 3.2% in the 2nd quarter. Boothbay Fund Management LLC now owns 1,401 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $384,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. CWM LLC lifted its position 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 purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Saia by 3.8% in the second quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 1,238 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $339,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the last quarter.

Key Headlines Impacting Saia

Here are the key news stories impacting Saia this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management says the company’s ~ $2B network investment is starting to position Saia for scale benefits and long‑term upside; the story frames today’s weakness as a potential buying opportunity if margin gains materialize. Saia awaits payoff on $2B investment
• Positive Sentiment: Management outlined a 100–200 basis‑point operating ratio improvement target tied to network expansion and scale — a clear path management is giving investors to restore profitability. OR improvement target article
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue was essentially flat but slightly ahead of some estimates ($790M), showing demand stability while management emphasizes market ramp‑ups and pricing per shipment improvements. Q4 sales beat article
• Neutral Sentiment: Capital spending plan: Saia expects $350–$400M of net capex in 2026 (down from 2024 levels), indicating a transition from heavy build to more measured investment — relevant for cash flow and returns timing. Saia Reports Fourth Quarter Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Management held an earnings conference call and provided more detail (transcript available) — important for investors who want color on claims, self‑insurance impacts and the timing of margin recovery. Earnings call transcript
• Negative Sentiment: EPS missed consensus: Q4 diluted EPS was $1.77 vs. ~$1.90 expected (and down sharply vs. $2.84 a year ago). Operating income fell ~37% YoY and the operating ratio widened to 91.9% (from 87.1%), signaling margin pressure. MarketWatch: shares fall after profit lags
• Negative Sentiment: Management cited elevated self‑insurance costs (~$4.7M) tied to past accidents that pressured the quarter — a near‑term headwind to profitability. Q4 results and insurance impact
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst pressure: Morgan Stanley downgraded Saia to Underweight with a $250 price target, which increases downside risk and likely amplified the selloff today. Morgan Stanley downgrade

Saia Company Profile

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.