(HTLD) Heartland Express - Overview

Exchange: NASDAQ • Country: United States • Currency: USD • Type: Common Stock • ISIN: US4223471040

Stock: Truckload, Dry-Van, Temperature-Controlled, Cross-Border

Total Rating 29

Risk 45

Buy Signal -0.07

Trucking » Cargo Ground Transportation
Age: 35.9y

Market Cap: 781m
Avg Trading Vol: 4.65M USD

ATR: 4.20%
Peers RS (IBD): 76.47

EPS (Earnings per Share)

EPS CAGR: -17.25%
EPS Trend: -79.5%

Last SUE: 0.96
Qual. Beats: 1

Revenue

Rev. CAGR: 7.83%
Rev. Trend: 16.9%

Last SUE: -1.32
Qual. Beats: 0

Dividends

Dividend Yield	0.90%
Yield on Cost 5y	0.44%
Yield CAGR 5y	-39.06%
Payout Consistency	74.0%
Payout Ratio	42.1%

Risk 5d forecast
Volatility	36.4%
Relative Tail Risk	-6.45%

Reward TTM
Sharpe Ratio	0.09
Alpha	-14.60

Character TTM
Beta	0.809
Beta Downside	0.516

Drawdowns 3y
Max DD	57.64%
CAGR/Max DD	-0.17

Description: HTLD Heartland Express December 25, 2025

Heartland Express, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTLD) operates a nationwide, asset-based dry-van truckload network across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, offering short-, medium- and long-haul services as well as temperature-controlled and cross-border freight under the Heartland Express, Millis Transfer, Smith Transport, and CFI brands.

The carrier’s primary customer base includes retailers, manufacturers, and parcel carriers in consumer goods, appliances, food, and automotive sectors, reflecting a diversified exposure to both durable-goods and fast-moving consumer demand.

Recent operational data (Q2 2024) shows a **load factor** of roughly **92 %**, a **fleet size** of about **7,200 trucks**, and **revenue growth** of **12 % YoY**, driven largely by continued e-commerce expansion and higher freight rates in the post-pandemic logistics environment.

Key economic drivers for Heartland include **fuel price volatility**, **labor market tightness in the trucking industry**, and **supply-chain reshoring trends** that increase domestic freight volumes; conversely, a prolonged recession could depress consumer-goods shipments and compress margins.

For a deeper dive into HTLD’s valuation metrics, see the ValueRay platform.

Piotroski VR‑10 (Strict, 0-10) 3.0

Net Income: -34.9m TTM > 0 and > 6% of Revenue
FCF/TA: -0.05 > 0.02 and ΔFCF/TA -11.99 > 1.0
NWC/Revenue: 1.92% < 20% (prev 2.07%; Δ -0.15% < -1%)
CFO/TA 0.09 > 3% & CFO 112.2m > Net Income -34.9m
Net Debt (155.4m) to EBITDA (133.0m): 1.17 < 3
Current Ratio: 1.14 > 1.5 & < 3
Outstanding Shares: last quarter (77.5m) vs 12m ago -1.30% < -2%
Gross Margin: 0.80% > 18% (prev 0.03%; Δ 76.63% > 0.5%)
Asset Turnover: 66.35% > 50% (prev 79.35%; Δ -12.99% > 0%)
Interest Coverage Ratio: -2.63 > 6 (EBITDA TTM 133.0m / Interest Expense TTM 12.4m)

Altman Z'' 4.63

A: 0.01 (Total Current Assets 138.1m - Total Current Liabilities 121.4m) / Total Assets 1.26b
B: 0.78 (Retained Earnings 986.4m / Total Assets 1.26b)
C: -0.03 (EBIT TTM -32.8m / Avg Total Assets 1.31b)
D: 2.05 (Book Value of Equity 987.3m / Total Liabilities 482.0m)
Altman-Z'' Score: 4.63 = AA

Beneish M -0.87

DSRI: 0.99 (Receivables 80.8m/101.2m, Revenue 868.9m/1.08b)
GMI: 3.63 (GM 0.80% / 2.89%)
AQI: 1.07 (AQ_t 0.34 / AQ_t-1 0.32)
SGI: 0.80 (Revenue 868.9m / 1.08b)
TATA: -0.12 (NI -34.9m - CFO 112.2m) / TA 1.26b)
Beneish M-Score: -0.87 (Cap -4..+1) = D

What is the price of HTLD shares?

As of February 07, 2026, the stock is trading at USD 11.47 with a total of 616,116 shares traded.
Over the past week, the price has changed by +13.68%, over one month by +10.29%, over three months by +51.05% and over the past year by +0.12%.

Is HTLD a buy, sell or hold?

Heartland Express has received a consensus analysts rating of 2.60. Therefor, it is recommend to hold HTLD.

StrongBuy: 0
Buy: 0
Hold: 3
Sell: 2
StrongSell: 0

What are the forecasts/targets for the HTLD price?

Issuer	Target	Up/Down from current
Wallstreet Target Price	9.3	-18.9%
Analysts Target Price	9.3	-18.9%
ValueRay Target Price	12	4.4%

HTLD Fundamental Data Overview February 01, 2026

P/E Forward = 21.0526
P/S = 0.8993
P/B = 1.0335
P/EG = 2.23
Revenue TTM = 868.9m USD
EBIT TTM = -32.8m USD
EBITDA TTM = 133.0m USD
Long Term Debt = 177.5m USD (from longTermDebt, last quarter)
Short Term Debt = 9.89m USD (from shortTermDebt, last quarter)
Debt = 188.1m USD (from shortLongTermDebtTotal, last quarter)
Net Debt = 155.4m USD (from netDebt column, last quarter)
Enterprise Value = 936.8m USD (781.4m + Debt 188.1m - CCE 32.7m)
Interest Coverage Ratio = -2.63 (Ebit TTM -32.8m / Interest Expense TTM 12.4m)
EV/FCF = -13.74x (Enterprise Value 936.8m / FCF TTM -68.2m)
FCF Yield = -7.28% (FCF TTM -68.2m / Enterprise Value 936.8m)
FCF Margin = -7.85% (FCF TTM -68.2m / Revenue TTM 868.9m)
Net Margin = -4.01% (Net Income TTM -34.9m / Revenue TTM 868.9m)
Gross Margin = 0.80% ((Revenue TTM 868.9m - Cost of Revenue TTM 862.0m) / Revenue TTM)
Gross Margin QoQ = -0.40% (prev -0.62%)
Tobins Q-Ratio = 0.74 (Enterprise Value 936.8m / Total Assets 1.26b)
Interest Expense / Debt = 1.55% (Interest Expense 2.91m / Debt 188.1m)
Taxrate = 21.0% (US default 21%)
NOPAT = -25.9m (EBIT -32.8m * (1 - 21.00%)) [loss with tax shield]
Current Ratio = 1.14 (Total Current Assets 138.1m / Total Current Liabilities 121.4m)
Debt / Equity = 0.24 (Debt 188.1m / totalStockholderEquity, last quarter 775.6m)
Debt / EBITDA = 1.17 (Net Debt 155.4m / EBITDA 133.0m)
Debt / FCF = -2.28 (negative FCF - burning cash) (Net Debt 155.4m / FCF TTM -68.2m)
Total Stockholder Equity = 798.2m (last 4 quarters mean from totalStockholderEquity)
RoA = -2.66% (Net Income -34.9m / Total Assets 1.26b)
RoE = -4.37% (Net Income TTM -34.9m / Total Stockholder Equity 798.2m)
RoCE = -3.36% (EBIT -32.8m / Capital Employed (Equity 798.2m + L.T.Debt 177.5m))
RoIC = -2.61% (negative operating profit) (NOPAT -25.9m / Invested Capital 993.1m)
WACC = 7.41% (E(781.4m)/V(969.5m) * Re(8.90%) + D(188.1m)/V(969.5m) * Rd(1.55%) * (1-Tc(0.21)))
Discount Rate = 8.90% (= CAPM, Blume Beta Adj.)
Shares Correlation 3-Years: -100.0 | Cagr: -1.05%
Fair Price DCF = unknown (Cash Flow -68.2m)
EPS Correlation: -79.49 | EPS CAGR: -17.25% | SUE: 0.96 | # QB: 1
Revenue Correlation: 16.91 | Revenue CAGR: 7.83% | SUE: -1.32 | # QB: 0
EPS next Quarter (2026-03-31): EPS=-0.09 | Chg30d=+0.015 | Revisions Net=+1 | Analysts=4
EPS next Year (2026-12-31): EPS=-0.13 | Chg30d=+0.050 | Revisions Net=+2 | Growth EPS=+73.3% | Growth Revenue=-1.9%

Additional Sources for HTLD Stock

News: Wall Street Journal | Benzinga | Yahoo Finance
Fund Manager Positions: Dataroma | Stockcircle