HTLD Stock Analysis: Heartland Express | NASDAQ
Trucking | NASDAQ, USA | Market Cap: 1.172m USD | 12M Return: 83.4% | Charts, Fundamentals & Technical Analysis
Avg Turnover: 8.28M
Qual. Beats: 1
Rev. Trend: -98.5%
Qual. Beats: 0
Warnings
Tailwinds
Seasonality 10.5 years of data
How good or bad each month usually is (without trend). The score below shows how much you can trust it: 0 = pure chance, >40 gets interesting and >55 is strong.
Heartland Express, Inc. is a U.S.-based truckload carrier providing short, medium, and long-haul transportation services across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The company operates asset-based dry van truckload services nationwide, along with cross-border freight and temperature-controlled truckload offerings. It serves customers through four brand names: Heartland Express, Millis Transfer, Smith Transport, and CFI, primarily catering to retailers, manufacturers, and parcel carriers in consumer goods, appliances, food products, and automotive industries. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa, the company has been publicly traded on NASDAQ since 1990 under the ticker HTLD.
The company operates within the ground cargo transportation segment of the industrials sector, where truckload carriers typically generate revenue per loaded mile and are exposed to fuel cost fluctuations, driver availability, and freight cycle demand patterns. Its multi-brand strategy allows Heartland to address distinct customer segments, including refrigerated freight through temperature-controlled operations and cross-border logistics across North American trade lanes.
- Truckload spot and contract rates recover from prolonged cycle lows
- CFI integration expands cross-border Mexico and dedicated capacity
- Used truck sale gains and fuel costs swing operating margin
| Net Income: -43.4m TTM > 0 and > 6% of Revenue |
| FCF/TA: -0.05 > 0.02 and ΔFCF/TA -6.22 > 1.0 |
| NWC/Revenue: 4.02% < 20% (prev -1.51%; Δ 5.53% < -1%) |
| CFO/TA 0.07 > 3% & CFO 86.6m > Net Income -43.4m |
| Net Debt (111.9m) to EBITDA (107.8m): 1.04 < 3 |
| Current Ratio: 1.27 > 1.5 & < 3 |
| Outstanding Shares: last quarter (77.5m) vs 12m ago -1.47% < -2% |
| Gross Margin: 9.10% > 18% (prev 10.19%; Δ -1.09% > 0.5%) |
| Asset Turnover: 60.38% > 50% (prev 74.11%; Δ -13.73% > 0%) |
| Interest Coverage Ratio: -4.24 > 6 (EBIT TTM -45.0m / Interest Expense TTM 10.6m) |
| A: 0.03 (Total Current Assets 143.2m - Total Current Liabilities 112.6m) / Total Assets 1.18b |
| B: 0.81 (Retained Earnings 959.0m / Total Assets 1.18b) |
| C: -0.04 (EBIT TTM -45.0m / Avg Total Assets 1.26b) |
| D: 1.73 (Book Value of Equity 749.0m / Total Liabilities 431.9m) |
| Altman-Z'' = 4.40 = AA |
| DSRI: 1.07 (Receivables 77.8m/95.0m, Revenue 762.5m/996.6m) |
| GMI: 1.12 (GM 10.19% / 9.10%) |
| AQI: 1.08 (AQ_t 0.34 / AQ_t-1 0.32) |
| SGI: 0.77 (Revenue 762.5m / 996.6m) |
| TATA: -0.11 (NI -43.4m - CFO 86.6m) / TA 1.18b) |
| Beneish M = -2.99 (Cap -4..+1) = A |
As of July 20, 2026, the stock is trading at USD 15.39 with a total of 1,061,986 shares traded. Over the past week, the price has changed by +3.99%, over one month by +4.91%, over three months by +30.82% and over the past year by +83.36%.
Current recommended Stop Loss: 14.00 (which is 9% or 2.7 ATR below the current price).
Heartland Express has received a consensus analysts rating of 2.60. Therefore, it is recommended to hold HTLD.
- StrongBuy: 0
- Buy: 0
- Hold: 3
- Sell: 2
- StrongSell: 0
| Analysts Target Price | 13.2 | -14.2% |
P/E Forward = 21.0526
P/S = 1.5284
P/B = 1.5363
P/EG = 1.6765
Revenue TTM = 762.5m USD
EBIT TTM = -45.0m USD
EBITDA TTM = 107.8m USD
Long Term Debt = 149.9m USD (from longTermDebt, last quarter)
Short Term Debt = 1.86m USD (from shortTermDebt, last quarter)
Debt = 156.4m USD (from shortLongTermDebtTotal, last quarter) + Leases 3.27m
Net Debt = 111.9m USD (calculated: Debt 156.4m - CCE 44.5m)
Enterprise Value = 1.28b USD (1.17b + Debt 156.4m - CCE 44.5m)
Interest Coverage Ratio = -4.24 (Ebit TTM -45.0m / Interest Expense TTM 10.6m)
EV/FCF = -20.07x (Enterprise Value 1.28b / FCF TTM -64.0m)
FCF Yield = -4.98% (FCF TTM -64.0m / Enterprise Value 1.28b)
FCF Margin = -8.39% (FCF TTM -64.0m / Revenue TTM 762.5m)
Net Margin = -5.69% (Net Income TTM -43.4m / Revenue TTM 762.5m)
Gross Margin = 9.10% ((Revenue TTM 762.5m - Cost of Revenue TTM 693.1m) / Revenue TTM)
Gross Margin QoQ = 9.61% (prev 9.14%)
Tobins Q-Ratio = 1.09 (Enterprise Value 1.28b / Total Assets 1.18b)
Interest Expense / Debt = 6.77% (Interest Expense 10.6m / Debt 156.4m)
Taxrate = 21.0% (US federal default 21%)
NOPAT = -35.5m (EBIT -45.0m * (1 - 21.00%)) [loss with tax shield]
Current Ratio = 1.27 (Total Current Assets 143.2m / Total Current Liabilities 112.6m)
Debt / Equity = 0.21 (Debt 156.4m / totalStockholderEquity, last quarter 749.0m)
Debt / EBITDA = 1.04 (Net Debt 111.9m / EBITDA 107.8m)
Debt / FCF = -1.75 (negative FCF - burning cash) (Net Debt 111.9m / FCF TTM -64.0m)
Total Stockholder Equity = 766.7m (last 4 quarters mean from totalStockholderEquity)
RoA = -3.44% (Net Income -43.4m / Total Assets 1.18b)
RoE = -5.66% (Net Income TTM -43.4m / Total Stockholder Equity 766.7m)
RoCE = -4.90% (EBIT -45.0m / Capital Employed (Equity 766.7m + L.T.Debt 149.9m))
RoIC = -3.44% (negative operating profit) (NOPAT -35.5m / Invested Capital 1.03b)
WACC = 8.49% (E(1.17b)/V(1.33b) * Re(8.91%) + D(156.4m)/V(1.33b) * Rd(6.77%) * (1-Tc(0.21)))
Discount Rate = 8.91% (= CAPM, Blume Beta Adj.)
Shares (quarterly) Correlation: -94.39 | Cagr: -0.93%
[DCF] Fair Price = unknown (Cash Flow -64.0m)
EPS Correlation: N/A | EPS CAGR: N/A | SUE: 1.30 | # QB: 1
Revenue Correlation: -98.47 | Revenue CAGR: -17.21% | SUE: 0.09 | # QB: 0
EPS current Quarter (2026-06-30): EPS=-0.01 | Chg30d=N/A | Revisions=+25% | Analysts=5
EPS next Quarter (2026-09-30): EPS=0.06 | Chg30d=N/A | Revisions=+40% | Analysts=5
EPS current Year (2026-12-31): EPS=0.04 | Chg30d=N/A | Revisions=+50% | GrowthEPS=+107.6% | GrowthRev=-6.8%
EPS next Year (2027-12-31): EPS=0.55 | Chg30d=+7.86% | Revisions=+50% | GrowthEPS=+1393.8% | GrowthRev=+9.5%
[Analyst] Revisions Ratio: +75% (up=9, down=0)