Forward Air Corporation (NASDAQ:FWRD) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of Forward Air Corporation (NASDAQ:FWRD) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the six analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $35.00.

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Susquehanna raised their target price on shares of Forward Air from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on shares of Forward Air from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Forward Air in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Forward Air in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Forward Air from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th.

Trending Headlines about Forward Air

Here are the key news stories impacting Forward Air this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cetus Capital increased its stake in October by acquiring 225,000 shares at about $17.93 each (a ~7.1% bump to its holdings), which can be read as a vote of confidence from a major holder. Cetus Capital acquisition filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Forward Air is scheduled to report quarterly earnings soon, which is a routine catalyst that could move the stock depending on results and guidance. Earnings projection notice
• Neutral Sentiment: Public short-interest data shows effectively zero reported short interest and a 0.0 days-to-cover figure — this looks like an anomalous/empty data print and is unlikely to be a meaningful immediate driver. (No external article link available.)
• Negative Sentiment: Cetus Capital subsequently sold multiple blocks totaling roughly 302k shares across November (and an additional October sale), representing a several-percent reduction in its stake and proceeds of roughly $6M — heavy insider selling from a large holder can weigh on sentiment. Cetus Capital sale filings
• Negative Sentiment: Market writeups flag fundamental pressure: analysis highlights that AI-related costs and other operational headwinds could compress margins and that Forward Air faces broader challenges beyond AI alone — this type of critique can prompt caution among investors ahead of earnings. Margin and fundamentals analysis
• Negative Sentiment: News outlets summarized the recent Cetus sell-off as several million dollars of sales (reporting ~ $5.94M), reinforcing headlines around insider selling that can pressure the stock. Investing.com summary of Cetus sales

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Forward Air

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in Forward Air by 26.9% in the 2nd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,499 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 530 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its stake in Forward Air by 207.0% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,600 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $64,000 after purchasing an additional 1,753 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Forward Air during the 4th quarter valued at $74,000. AlphaQuest LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Forward Air by 541.5% in the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 3,015 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $77,000 after buying an additional 2,545 shares during the period. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Forward Air during the 2nd quarter worth $107,000. Institutional investors own 97.03% of the company’s stock.

Forward Air Trading Up 1.6%

Forward Air stock opened at $27.24 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.73. Forward Air has a 12-month low of $9.78 and a 12-month high of $32.47. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $27.03 and a 200 day moving average of $25.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $851.25 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.08 and a beta of 1.35.

Forward Air Company Profile

Forward Air Corporation is a leading North American provider of expedited ground transportation and related logistics services, specializing in time-sensitive shipments. The company offers a comprehensive suite of solutions including less-than-truckload (LTL) expedited freight, consolidation and distribution services, container drayage, and final-mile delivery. By integrating transportation management with warehousing, inventory control, and technology-driven tracking, Forward Air supports customers across a variety of industries such as manufacturing, retail, automotive and chemicals.

Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Greeneville, Tennessee, Forward Air has developed a broad network of service centers, terminals and rail ramps throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.