HTLD Stock Analysis: Heartland Express | NASDAQ
Trucking | NASDAQ, USA | Market Cap: 962m USD | 12M Return: 43.5% | US4223471040 | Charts, Fundamentals & Technical Analysis
Avg Turnover: 8.34M
Qual. Beats: 2
Rev. Trend: -99.2%
Qual. Beats: -1
Warnings
Tailwinds
No distinct edge detected
Seasonality 11.6 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: -22.0m TTM > 0 and > 6% of Revenue |
| FCF/TA: -0.07 > 0.02 and ΔFCF/TA -4.88 > 1.0 |
| NWC/Revenue: 9.31% < 20% (prev -0.80%; Δ 10.11% < -1%) |
| CFO/TA 0.07 > 3% & CFO 78.5m > Net Income -22.0m |
| Net Debt (95.5m) to EBITDA (102.3m): 0.93 < 3 |
| Current Ratio: 1.58 > 1.5 & < 3 |
| Outstanding Shares: last quarter (77.4m) vs 12m ago -0.86% < -2% |
| Gross Margin: 7.49% > 18% (prev 9.20%; Δ -1.71% > 0.5%) |
| Asset Turnover: 59.52% > 50% (prev 71.75%; Δ -12.23% > 0%) |
| Interest Coverage Ratio: -4.34 > 6 (EBIT TTM -41.2m / Interest Expense TTM 9.51m) |
| A: 0.06 (Total Current Assets 185.8m - Total Current Liabilities 117.2m) / Total Assets 1.17b |
| B: 0.82 (Retained Earnings 968.1m / Total Assets 1.17b) |
| C: -0.03 (EBIT TTM -41.2m / Avg Total Assets 1.24b) |
| D: 1.81 (Book Value of Equity 756.3m / Total Liabilities 418.5m) |
| Altman-Z'' = 4.74 = AA |
| DSRI: 1.11 (Receivables 76.7m/87.8m, Revenue 736.3m/932.2m) |
| GMI: 1.23 (GM 9.20% / 7.49%) |
| AQI: 1.05 (AQ_t 0.35 / AQ_t-1 0.33) |
| SGI: 0.79 (Revenue 736.3m / 932.2m) |
| TATA: -0.09 (NI -22.0m - CFO 78.5m) / TA 1.17b) |
| Beneish M = -2.86 (Cap -4..+1) = A |
As of September 15, 2026, the stock is trading at USD 12.34 with a total of 531,424 shares traded. Over the past week, the price has changed by -0.16%, over one month by +4.58%, over three months by -23.82% and over the past year by +43.46%.
Current recommended Stop Loss: 11.60 (which is 6% or 1.6 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 | 7% |
P/E Forward = 21.0526
P/S = 1.3066
P/B = 1.2639
P/EG = 1.6765
Revenue TTM = 736.3m USD
EBIT TTM = -41.2m USD
EBITDA TTM = 102.3m USD
Long Term Debt = 134.9m USD (from longTermDebt, last quarter)
Short Term Debt = 3.20m USD (from shortTermDebt, last quarter)
Debt = 157.9m USD (from shortLongTermDebtTotal, last quarter) + Leases 11.5m
Net Debt = 95.5m USD (calculated: Debt 157.9m - CCE 62.4m)
Enterprise Value = 1.06b USD (962.0m + Debt 157.9m - CCE 62.4m)
Interest Coverage Ratio = -4.34 (Ebit TTM -41.2m / Interest Expense TTM 9.51m)
EV/FCF = -12.33x (Enterprise Value 1.06b / FCF TTM -85.8m)
FCF Yield = -8.11% (FCF TTM -85.8m / Enterprise Value 1.06b)
FCF Margin = -11.65% (FCF TTM -85.8m / Revenue TTM 736.3m)
Net Margin = -2.98% (Net Income TTM -22.0m / Revenue TTM 736.3m)
Gross Margin = 7.49% ((Revenue TTM 736.3m - Cost of Revenue TTM 681.1m) / Revenue TTM)
Gross Margin QoQ = 1.64% (prev 9.61%)
Tobins Q-Ratio = 0.90 (Enterprise Value 1.06b / Total Assets 1.17b)
Interest Expense / Debt = 6.02% (Interest Expense 9.51m / Debt 157.9m)
Taxrate = 29.64% (4.46m / 15.0m)
NOPAT = -29.0m (EBIT -41.2m * (1 - 29.64%)) [loss with tax shield]
Current Ratio = 1.58 (Total Current Assets 185.8m / Total Current Liabilities 117.2m)
Debt / Equity = 0.21 (Debt 157.9m / totalStockholderEquity, last quarter 756.3m)
Debt / EBITDA = 0.93 (Net Debt 95.5m / EBITDA 102.3m)
Debt / FCF = -1.11 (negative FCF - burning cash) (Net Debt 95.5m / FCF TTM -85.8m)
Total Stockholder Equity = 759.1m (last 4 quarters mean from totalStockholderEquity)
RoA = -1.78% (Net Income -22.0m / Total Assets 1.17b)
RoE = -2.89% (Net Income TTM -22.0m / Total Stockholder Equity 759.1m)
RoCE = -4.61% (EBIT -41.2m / Capital Employed (Equity 759.1m + L.T.Debt 134.9m))
RoIC = -2.83% (negative operating profit) (NOPAT -29.0m / Invested Capital 1.02b)
WACC = 8.26% (E(962.0m)/V(1.12b) * Re(8.92%) + D(157.9m)/V(1.12b) * Rd(6.02%) * (1-Tc(0.30)))
Discount Rate = 8.92% (= CAPM, Blume Beta Adj.)
Shares (quarterly) Correlation: -94.62 | Cagr: -0.97%
[DCF] Fair Price = unknown (Cash Flow -85.8m)
EPS Correlation: N/A | EPS CAGR: N/A | SUE: 1.93 | # QB: 2
Revenue Correlation: -99.16 | Revenue CAGR: -18.35% | SUE: -0.90 | # QB: -1
EPS current Quarter (2026-09-30): EPS=0.05 | Chg30d=-24.47% | Revisions=+17% | Analysts=5
EPS current Year (2026-12-31): EPS=0.19 | Chg30d=N/A | Revisions=+62% | GrowthEPS=+138.5% | GrowthRev=-9.0%
EPS next Year (2027-12-31): EPS=0.50 | Chg30d=-8.58% | Revisions=+17% | GrowthEPS=+168.1% | GrowthRev=+7.3%
[Analyst] Revisions Ratio: +50% (up=9, down=2)