Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) Rating Increased to Buy at Stifel Nicolaus

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has a $438.00 price target on the transportation company’s stock. Stifel Nicolaus’ price objective would suggest a potential upside of 24.92% from the stock’s current price.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on SAIA. UBS Group set a $504.00 target price on Saia in a report on Friday. Citigroup upgraded Saia from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and cut their price target for the company from $524.00 to $488.00 in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Saia from $445.00 to $490.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Saia in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Saia from $265.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Saia has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $458.39.

Saia Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:SAIA opened at $350.63 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 1.52 and a current ratio of 1.52. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $439.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $406.22. Saia has a fifty-two week low of $249.32 and a fifty-two week high of $494.71. The firm has a market cap of $9.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 2.13.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The transportation company reported $3.51 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.38 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $956.49 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $956.20 million. Saia had a net margin of 7.84% and a return on equity of 9.60%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 17.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.67 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Saia will post 11.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Saia

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Quarry LP raised its holdings in Saia by 8,400.0% during the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 85 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Saia during the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in Saia during the fourth quarter valued at $40,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Saia by 1,612.5% in the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 137 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 129 shares during the period. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Saia by 46.9% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 144 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period.

Key Headlines Impacting Saia

Here are the key news stories impacting Saia this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Saia reported second-quarter diluted EPS of $3.51, above estimates of approximately $3.34–$3.38 and up from $2.67 a year earlier. Revenue increased 17.1% to a record $956.5 million, while operating income rose 26% to $125.2 million. Saia Reports Second Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Operating performance improved, with the operating ratio declining to 86.9% from 87.8%. LTL tonnage per workday increased 8.4%, shipments rose 4.4%, and the company achieved a record-low 0.3% claims ratio. Saia Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Saia ended the quarter with $84 million in cash and $100.1 million of debt, a substantial improvement in liquidity compared with the prior year. First-half net capital expenditures also fell to $158 million from $375.6 million. Saia Q2 Earnings Snapshot
• Neutral Sentiment: Management expects 2026 net capital expenditures of approximately $350 million to $400 million as it continues expanding and integrating its service network.
• Negative Sentiment: Management indicated that the third-quarter operating ratio could deteriorate by roughly 100 basis points sequentially. Investors viewed the outlook as disappointing because it implies softer near-term profitability despite the second-quarter beat. Saia’s Q3 Margin Guidance Disappoints Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Cost pressures are expected from a July company-wide wage increase, higher diesel and purchased-transportation expenses, and elevated insurance and workers’ compensation costs. July tonnage was reportedly up about 7.5% month to date, but shipment growth was only around 1%, suggesting mixed demand and possible friction following Saia’s 7.1% general rate increase.
• Negative Sentiment: Excluding fuel surcharges, second-quarter LTL revenue per hundredweight declined 2.2%, pointing to pricing or mix pressure that could weigh on margins if costs continue rising. Saia Outlines Q3 Operating-Ratio Outlook

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.