HTLDIndustrials · TruckingThe 6 Wall Street analysts covering Heartland Express, Inc. hold a median 12-month price target of $12 — +17.4% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 66 of 100 as at 31 Oct 2026 — in the upper half.
Consensus tells you what everyone already believes. The model scores Heartland Express, Inc. on its factor families — the same systematic rank behind the Ticker Nerd portfolio.
Percentile across ~4,600 US stocks on Ticker Nerd’s systematic factor model. Higher is better. How the model is built and tested
Issuance (96): The share count has been shrinking and the company is not leaning on new borrowing.
Quality (29): Profits are thin or unreliable for the size of the business, or they are not turning into cash.
Built and run by Aslam Ghouse, an ex-Goldman Sachs systematic trader with 15+ years in markets.
The bullish and bearish analyst opinions on HTLD, reported as data — targets and ratings, the market's view beside the model's.
Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.
Data provided by Twelve Data
The green dot is the last close — the median target sits +17.4% from it.
Of the 20 most recent actions, 3 moved their price target up and 4 moved it down.
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Oct 2026 | Barclays | Maintains | Underweight | $12 → $10 |
| 21 Oct 2026 | UBS | Maintains | Neutral | $13 → $12 |
| 20 Oct 2026 | Baird | Downgrade | Neutral | $16 → $12 |
| 13 Aug 2026 | Barclays | Maintains | Underweight | — |
| 13 Aug 2026 | Barclays | Maintains | Underweight | $14 → $12 |
| 6 Aug 2026 | UBS | Maintains | Neutral | $12 → $13 |
| 6 Aug 2026 | UBS | Maintains | Neutral | — |
| 31 July 2026 | JP Morgan | Maintains | Underweight | $11 → $12 |
| 31 July 2026 | JP Morgan | Maintains | Underweight | — |
| 6 July 2026 | Morgan Stanley | Maintains | Equal-Weight | — |
| 6 July 2026 | Morgan Stanley | Maintains | Equal-Weight | $12 → $13 |
| 26 June 2026 | Barclays | Maintains | Underweight | — |
| 28 Apr 2026 | Barclays | Maintains | Underweight | — |
| 24 Apr 2026 | Baird | Maintains | Outperform | — |
| 24 Apr 2026 | JP Morgan | Maintains | Underweight | — |
| 24 Apr 2026 | UBS | Maintains | Neutral | — |
| 3 Mar 2026 | Barclays | Maintains | Underweight | — |
| 5 Feb 2026 | UBS | Maintains | Neutral | — |
| 15 Jan 2026 | Barclays | Maintains | Underweight | — |
| 5 Jan 2026 | Baird | Upgrade | Outperform | — |
Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.
HTLD appears in the Radar on the weeks it earns a place.
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Both lines are total return — dividends reinvested — so the comparison is honest on both sides.
Over the twelve months to 30 Oct 2026, Heartland Express, Inc. returned +36.2% against +12.4% for the S&P 500, dividends included.
Download this chart as an image — free to reuse; link this page as the source.
Data provided by Twelve Data
Not the forecast itself — the direction analysts are revising it. Revision direction is one of the model's factor families.
A margin means little on its own. Each bar marks where the figure sits across the whole US universe we score.
Cheaper than 14% of US stocks
Cheaper than 66% of US stocks
Cheaper than 69% of US stocks
Cheaper than 40% of US stocks
Higher than 17% of US stocks
Higher than 25% of US stocks
Higher than 10% of US stocks
Higher than 29% of US stocks
Higher than 28% of US stocks
Higher than 42% of US stocks
Higher than 37% of US stocks
Higher than 68% of US dividend payers
Bars mark the percentile across the ~4,600 US stocks Ticker Nerd covers, among those reporting the figure.
The headline figures, each with its date. Every row carries its own link — cite it straight from here.
Heartland Express, Inc. has a market value of $790.3M and an enterprise value of $854.7M.
Revenue in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $736.3M. The latest quarter shrank 8.7% year on year.
Net income over the same four quarters: −$22.0M, a −3.0% net margin.
Diluted earnings per share, trailing twelve months: $−0.28.
Free cash flow in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: −$85.8M.
Heartland Express, Inc. spent $6.2M on dividends in the twelve months to 30 June 2026.
Trailing P/E: 52.4×; forward P/E: 23.5× — the forward figure prices analyst consensus estimates, not reported earnings.
Forward dividend yield: 0.78%, paying out 42% of earnings.
Heartland Express, Inc. employs 3,630 people — $203K of revenue per employee.
Data provided by Twelve Data
The nearest names by industry and size, scored by the same model — like for like.
Look up any of the roughly 4,600 stocks we score.
The rank is the raw material. Whether the rules would actually own Heartland Express, Inc. — and when they’d sell — is the membership. See the Ticker Nerd 20 →
Zacks Investment Research reports that implied volatility for Heartland Express (HTLD) stock options has been surging, citing recent movements in the options market.
Why it matters — HTLD watchers may note the recent change in options-market activity.
Seeking Alpha rates Heartland Express Hold with a bearish bias, citing reliance on equipment sales rather than freight operations for profitability. Its operating ratio remains above 100% without equipment gains, while the excerpt also notes cost reductions, debt paydown, and valuation concerns.
Why it matters — HTLD watchers may weigh the weakness in core operations against the reported cost reductions and debt paydown.
Zacks Investment Research reports on Heartland Express’s Q3 results for the quarter ended September 2026, noting that revenue and EPS provide a view of performance and that key metrics can be compared with Wall Street estimates and year-ago figures.
Why it matters — HTLD watchers may use the key-metric comparisons to assess the quarter alongside revenue and EPS.
Heartland Express reported third-quarter 2026 operating revenue of $179.5 million and net income of $1.0 million, with basic earnings per share of $0.01. Its operating ratio was 98.7%, a 500-basis-point improvement from Q3 2025; the company also reported share repurchases, debt payments, and its asset and equity totals.
Why it matters — The results provide HTLD watchers with an update on quarterly earnings, operating performance, and capital and debt activity.
Heartland Express (HTLD) has been upgraded to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), reflecting growing optimism about the company's earnings prospects. The upgrade reflects improved expectations for the company's near-term performance.
Why it matters — HTLD watchers would note the upgraded Zacks ranking as a sign of improving sentiment around the company's earnings outlook.
The 6 Wall Street analysts covering Heartland Express, Inc. have a median 12-month price target of $12, with estimates ranging from $10 to $13. These are third-party analyst estimates, not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.
Of the 6 analysts covering Heartland Express, Inc., 0 rate it a Buy, 4 a Hold and 2 a Sell. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model ranks Heartland Express, Inc. 66 out of 100 across roughly 4,600 US stocks as at 31 Oct 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.
As at 31 Oct 2026, Heartland Express, Inc. ranks 66 out of 100 on Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model — a percentile across roughly 4,600 US stocks, built from its factor families. Its strongest factor family is Issuance (96 of 100).
No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 6 analysts implies +17.4% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks Heartland Express, Inc. 66 out of 100 as at 31 Oct 2026. Analyst targets are third-party estimates and frequently wrong; none of this is personal advice.
No analyst covering Heartland Express, Inc. publishes a 2030 price target — Wall Street targets run 12 to 18 months out. Sites quoting a 2030 price for HTLD are extrapolating price history, which says nothing about the business. The furthest attributed numbers are the current analyst targets: $10 to $13 over the next 12 months.
Heartland Express, Inc. returned +36.2% over the 12 months to 30 Oct 2026, with dividends reinvested. Past performance does not indicate future returns.
Heartland Express, Inc. is a truckload transportation company that provides short-, medium-, and long-haul freight services across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The most recent item we track (Zacks Investment Research, 23 Oct 2026): "Implied Volatility Surging for Heartland Express Stock Options". Zacks Investment Research reports that implied volatility for Heartland Express (HTLD) stock options has been surging, citing recent movements in the options market.
Heartland Express, Inc. is a truckload transportation company that provides short-, medium-, and long-haul freight services across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The company focuses on asset-based dry van trucking, temperature-controlled transportation, and cross-border logistics for shippers that need reliable over-the-road freight movement. It operates under the Heartland Express, Millis Transfer, Smith Transport, and CFI brand names, serving customers in industries such as retail, manufacturing, consumer goods, appliances, food products, and automotive. Headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa, Heartland Express plays a significant role in North American ground transportation by connecting producers, distributors, and parcel carriers through a broad network of truckload services.
CEO Mr. Michael J. Gerdin · 3,630 employees · United States · https://www.heartlandexpress.com
