HTLD Stock Analysis: Heartland Express | NASDAQ
Trucking | NASDAQ, USA | Market Cap: 793m USD | 12M Return: 35.4% | US4223471040 | Charts, Fundamentals & Technical Analysis
Avg Turnover: 6.31M
Qual. Beats: 0
Rev. Trend: -99.1%
Qual. Beats: -2
Warnings
Tailwinds
Seasonality 11.7 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. (HTLD) is an asset-based truckload carrier providing short, medium, and long-haul freight services across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The company primarily offers dry van truckload services, alongside cross-border freight and temperature-controlled transportation, operating under four brand names: Heartland Express, Millis Transfer, Smith Transport, and CFI. Its customer base includes retailers, manufacturers, and parcel carriers serving end markets such as consumer goods, appliances, food products, and automotive. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa, HTLD has grown largely through acquisitions, building a multi-brand platform within the highly fragmented and cyclical U.S. trucking industry. As an asset-based carrier, the company owns and operates its own tractor and trailer fleet, distinguishing it from non-asset brokerage models that rely on third-party capacity.
- CFI acquisition expands cross-border and refrigerated freight capacity
- Truckload spot rates depressed as industry faces capacity glut
- Consumer durable and appliance freight volumes track housing slowdown
| Net Income: -12.7m TTM > 0 and > 6% of Revenue |
| FCF/TA: -0.08 > 0.02 and ΔFCF/TA -5.14 > 1.0 |
| NWC/Revenue: -6.54% < 20% (prev 1.92%; Δ -8.46% < -1%) |
| CFO/TA 0.07 > 3% & CFO 78.5m > Net Income -12.7m |
| Net Debt (220.2m) to EBITDA (96.0m): 2.29 < 3 |
| Current Ratio: 0.77 > 1.5 & < 3 |
| Outstanding Shares: last quarter (77.4m) vs 12m ago -0.09% < -2% |
| Gross Margin: 5.72% > 18% (prev 9.04%; Δ -3.32% > 0.5%) |
| Asset Turnover: 60.42% > 50% (prev 69.09%; Δ -8.67% > 0%) |
| Interest Coverage Ratio: -4.85 > 6 (EBIT TTM -39.8m / Interest Expense TTM 8.19m) |
| A: -0.04 (Total Current Assets 153.8m - Total Current Liabilities 200.8m) / Total Assets 1.12b |
| B: 0.86 (Retained Earnings 967.5m / Total Assets 1.12b) |
| C: -0.03 (EBIT TTM -39.8m / Avg Total Assets 1.19b) |
| D: 2.04 (Book Value of Equity 754.1m / Total Liabilities 368.9m) |
| Altman-Z'' = 4.46 = AA |
| DSRI: 1.13 (Receivables 75.5m/80.8m, Revenue 719.2m/868.9m) |
| GMI: 1.58 (GM 9.04% / 5.72%) |
| AQI: 1.06 (AQ_t 0.36 / AQ_t-1 0.34) |
| SGI: 0.83 (Revenue 719.2m / 868.9m) |
| TATA: -0.08 (NI -12.7m - CFO 78.5m) / TA 1.12b) |
| Beneish M = -2.49 (Cap -4..+1) = BBB |
As of October 30, 2026, the stock is trading at USD 10.38 with a total of 788,951 shares traded. Over the past week, the price has changed by +0.87%, over one month by -10.90%, over three months by -19.95% and over the past year by +35.44%.
Current recommended Stop Loss: 9.70 (which is 6.6% or 1.6 ATR below the current price).
Heartland Express has received a consensus analysts rating of 3.00. Therefore, it is recommended to hold HTLD.
- StrongBuy: 1
- Buy: 0
- Hold: 3
- Sell: 2
- StrongSell: 0
| Analysts Target Price | 12.2 | 17.5% |
P/E Forward = 21.0526
P/S = 1.0776
P/B = 1.2097
P/EG = 1.6765
Revenue TTM = 719.2m USD
EBIT TTM = -39.8m USD
EBITDA TTM = 96.0m USD
Long Term Debt = 154.1m USD (from longTermDebt, last fiscal year)
Short Term Debt = 103.2m USD (from shortTermDebt, last quarter)
Debt = 268.7m USD (corrected: LT Debt 154.1m + ST Debt 103.2m) + Leases 11.5m
Net Debt = 220.2m USD (calculated: Debt 268.7m - CCE 48.5m)
Enterprise Value = 1.01b USD (793.4m + Debt 268.7m - CCE 48.5m)
Interest Coverage Ratio = -4.85 (Ebit TTM -39.8m / Interest Expense TTM 8.19m)
EV/FCF = -11.82x (Enterprise Value 1.01b / FCF TTM -85.8m)
FCF Yield = -8.46% (FCF TTM -85.8m / Enterprise Value 1.01b)
FCF Margin = -11.93% (FCF TTM -85.8m / Revenue TTM 719.2m)
Net Margin = -1.77% (Net Income TTM -12.7m / Revenue TTM 719.2m)
Gross Margin = 5.72% ((Revenue TTM 719.2m - Cost of Revenue TTM 678.1m) / Revenue TTM)
Gross Margin QoQ = 2.66% (prev 1.64%)
Tobins Q-Ratio = 0.90 (Enterprise Value 1.01b / Total Assets 1.12b)
Interest Expense / Debt = 3.05% (Interest Expense 8.19m / Debt 268.7m)
Taxrate = 19.95% (239k / 1.20m)
NOPAT = -31.8m (EBIT -39.8m * (1 - 19.95%)) [loss with tax shield]
Current Ratio = 0.77 (Total Current Assets 153.8m / Total Current Liabilities 200.8m)
Debt / Equity = 0.36 (Debt 268.7m / totalStockholderEquity, last quarter 754.1m)
Debt / EBITDA = 2.29 (Net Debt 220.2m / EBITDA 96.0m)
Debt / FCF = -2.57 (negative FCF - burning cash) (Net Debt 220.2m / FCF TTM -85.8m)
Total Stockholder Equity = 753.7m (last 4 quarters mean from totalStockholderEquity)
RoA = -1.07% (Net Income -12.7m / Total Assets 1.12b)
RoE = -1.69% (Net Income TTM -12.7m / Total Stockholder Equity 753.7m)
RoCE = -4.38% (EBIT -39.8m / Capital Employed (Equity 753.7m + L.T.Debt 154.1m))
RoIC = -3.22% (negative operating profit) (NOPAT -31.8m / Invested Capital 989.4m)
WACC = 6.82% (E(793.4m)/V(1.06b) * Re(8.31%) + D(268.7m)/V(1.06b) * Rd(3.05%) * (1-Tc(0.20)))
Discount Rate = 8.31% (= CAPM, Blume Beta Adj.)
Shares (quarterly) Correlation: -92.32 | Cagr: -0.90%
[DCF] Fair Price = unknown (Cash Flow -85.8m)
EPS Correlation: N/A | EPS CAGR: N/A | SUE: -0.13 | # QB: 0
Revenue Correlation: -99.14 | Revenue CAGR: -18.29% | SUE: -1.66 | # QB: -2
EPS current Quarter (2027-03-31): EPS=0.06 | Chg30d=+9.09% | Revisions=+25% | Analysts=1
EPS current Year (2026-12-31): EPS=0.13 | Chg30d=-28.93% | Revisions=-50% | GrowthEPS=+126.5% | GrowthRev=-10.7%
EPS next Year (2027-12-31): EPS=0.44 | Chg30d=-12.92% | Revisions=+0% | GrowthEPS=+239.5% | GrowthRev=+6.4%
[Analyst] Revisions Ratio: -22% (up=2, down=4)