Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) Shares Down 4.8% – Here’s Why

Werner Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:WERN)’s stock price was down 4.8% on Friday . The company traded as low as $36.61 and last traded at $36.72. Approximately 184,335 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 84% from the average session volume of 1,123,011 shares. The stock had previously closed at $38.59.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WERN has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Zacks Research lowered Werner Enterprises from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Werner Enterprises in a report on Friday, July 24th. Susquehanna raised shares of Werner Enterprises from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $48.00 to $44.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Werner Enterprises from $37.00 to $39.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Werner Enterprises from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $41.54.

Werner Enterprises Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The company has a market capitalization of $2.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -49.05 and a beta of 1.27. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $40.11 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $37.28.

Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The transportation company reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.24 by ($0.02). Werner Enterprises had a negative net margin of 1.42% and a positive return on equity of 1.18%. The company had revenue of $813.36 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $931.12 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.11 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Werner Enterprises, Inc. will post 1.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Werner Enterprises Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 21st. Stockholders of record on Monday, October 5th will be paid a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, October 5th. Werner Enterprises’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -73.68%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Allworth Financial LP acquired a new stake in shares of Werner Enterprises during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new position in Werner Enterprises in the second quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new position in Werner Enterprises in the second quarter worth approximately $65,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in Werner Enterprises by 41.3% during the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,324 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $70,000 after acquiring an additional 679 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its position in shares of Werner Enterprises by 28.3% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 3,261 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $98,000 after purchasing an additional 719 shares during the last quarter. 89.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Werner Enterprises Company Profile

Werner Enterprises, Inc is a transportation and logistics company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1956 by Clarence L. Werner, the company provides freight transportation and supply chain services to customers across the United States, as well as in Mexico and Canada.

The company’s operations include truckload transportation, dedicated transportation, and logistics services. Its truckload business transports consumer and industrial goods using a network of company trucks and independent carriers, while its dedicated operations provide customized fleets and drivers for customers with recurring freight needs.