Pullen Investment Management LLC Purchases 94,048 Shares of Heartland Express, Inc. $HTLD

Pullen Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Heartland Express, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTLD) by 135.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 163,250 shares of the transportation company’s stock after purchasing an additional 94,048 shares during the quarter. Pullen Investment Management LLC owned about 0.21% of Heartland Express worth $1,895,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of HTLD. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Heartland Express by 18.1% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 6,525 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $99,000 after purchasing an additional 999 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Heartland Express in the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Susquehanna International Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of Heartland Express by 13.0% in the second quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP now owns 27,476 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $418,000 after purchasing an additional 3,165 shares during the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Heartland Express in the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in Heartland Express by 2.0% during the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 222,049 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,309,000 after buying an additional 4,313 shares in the last quarter. 53.45% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Heartland Express Price Performance

HTLD stock opened at $10.18 on Monday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $11.76 and a two-hundred day moving average of $13.07. The company has a quick ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market cap of $787.22 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -63.62 and a beta of 1.35. Heartland Express, Inc. has a 52-week low of $6.99 and a 52-week high of $16.64.

Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 20th. The transportation company reported $0.01 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.03 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $179.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $181.38 million. Heartland Express had a negative net margin of 1.77% and a positive return on equity of 0.30%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Heartland Express, Inc. will post 0.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Heartland Express Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Friday, September 25th were issued a $0.02 dividend. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 25th. Heartland Express’s payout ratio is -50.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently commented on HTLD shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Heartland Express from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Zacks Research lowered shares of Heartland Express from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Heartland Express from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, September 19th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Heartland Express in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Heartland Express from $14.00 to $12.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $12.20.

About Heartland Express

Heartland Express, Inc is a North American truckload carrier that provides freight transportation services primarily through an asset-based fleet of tractors and dry van trailers. The company transports general commodities, including consumer and industrial goods, over irregular routes and short- to medium-length hauls.

The company serves customers throughout the contiguous United States and also provides cross-border transportation services involving Mexico and Canada. Its offerings include standard truckload transportation, dedicated capacity, expedited and regional services, and logistics support designed to help shippers manage freight movements and supply chains.

Heartland Express was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa.