MARKET WIREBenzinga • 5d ago
Barclays Maintains Underweight on Heartland Express, Lowers Price Target to $10Barclays analyst Brandon Oglenski maintains Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) with a Underweight and lowers the price target from $12 to $10.
Why HTLD Stock advanced +1.87% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash
$10.38 +1.87% NASDAQ • Live Quote vs Prior Daily Close (Synced Snapshot)
Heartland Express Inc. (HTLD) carries a Roarable Rating of D (Sell) with 44/100 RQD Confidence due to weak cash-flow efficiency and sensitivity to current interest rates. Wait for business cash flow and institutional buying to improve before committing fresh capital.
ROARABLE D • SELL / AVOID
Cap $802.7M
INTERACTIVE SCENARIO DECK:
RQD QUANT TACHOMETERSELL / AVOID • D
2-of-3 JEV AI Jury Bearish Warning
Cash
SEC
Whale
Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer
5-PILLAR SNOWFLAKE RADARRw D- · Rk D+
Each axis scored 0–20
12M PRICE TARGET CONE-6.3% Base Target
WHALE OPTIONS SNAPSHOT: — (No Active Options Snapshot on file for HTLD)Realized 20D OHLCV Swing Band: ±8.5%
AUTOMATED RQD QUANT DESK MOVER BRIEFINGFull Market News Desk →
Why HTLD Stock advanced +1.87% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash
Heartland Express Inc. (HTLD) advanced +1.87% to $10.38, trading at 35% of its 52-week range ($7 – $16.64). Stretched risk/reward at current multiples (-5% return on capital) under elevated 10-year interest-rate pressure.
- ▸Technical Tape: Trading at 35% of its 52-week range ($7 – $16.64) with RSI-14 at 35.8 (NEUTRAL RANGE).
- ▸Volatility Profile: Historical 20-day realized swing band of ±8.5% around $10.38 (no active unusual options sweep snapshot on file).
- ▸Fundamental Anchor: Roarable D (Sell) backed by 52% gross margin and $0 annual free cash flow.
Live HTLD Headlines & Catalysts
RISK WATCHYahoo • 9d ago
Heartland Express Q3 turnaround aided by capacity-driven price improvementsThe carrier reversed an operating loss for the quarter from 2025 with $1 million in net income.
MARKET WIREYahoo • 9d ago
Implied Volatility Surging for Heartland Express Stock OptionsInvestors need to pay close attention to HTLD stock based on the movements in the options market lately.
CATALYSTYahoo • 10d ago
Truckload Pricing Power? Diesel Is Eating It UpTruckload rates are up, but carrier profits still aren’t following. JB Hunt, Werner and Heartland earnings all point to the same freight market story: pricing power is back, but diesel, driver and insurance costs are eat
MARKET WIREBenzinga • 11d ago
UBS Maintains Neutral on Heartland Express, Lowers Price Target to $12UBS analyst Thomas Wadewitz maintains Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) with a Neutral and lowers the price target from $13 to $12.
MARKET WIREYahoo • 11d ago
Heartland Express (HTLD) Stock Slips As Q3 Profit Meets Margin StrainHeartland Express just posted its Q3 2026 scorecard and the stock slipped 2.5% on the day. That looks more like fatigue than panic. The headline is simple. A trucking carrier that had been racking up losses over the past
CATALYSTYahoo • 12d ago
Heartland Express sees earnings turnaround in Q3For the first time since 2023, truckload carrier Heartland Express achieved a net profit that was not driven by large gains from selling equipment and terminals. The post Heartland Express sees earnings turnaround in Q3
MARKET WIREYahoo • 12d ago
Heartland Express (HTLD) Reports Q3 Earnings: What Key Metrics Have to SayAlthough the revenue and EPS for Heartland Express (HTLD) give a sense of how its business performed in the quarter ended September 2026, it might be worth considering how some key metrics compare with Wall Street estima
MARKET WIREYahoo • 12d ago
Heartland Express: Q3 Earnings SnapshotNORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (AP) — NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (AP) — Heartland Express Inc. (HTLD) on Tuesday reported earnings of $959,000 in its third quarter.
MARKET WIREYahoo • 12d ago
Heartland Express, Inc. Reports Net Income and Financial Results for the Third Quarter of 2026NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa, Oct. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Heartland Express, Inc. (Nasdaq: HTLD) announced today financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2026. Three months ended September 30, 202
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- ✓Walkthrough of HTLD's RQD Radar, SEC cash-conversion gap & downside invalidation levels
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HTLD // CANDLESTICK & AUTO-TRENDLINE WORKSTATION6M: -22.42%⚡ TESTING RESISTANCE
2026-10-30O $10.34H $10.42L $10.11C $10.38VOL 626.5K
RES: $10.80SUP: $9.43SMA50: $11.52SMA200: $12.31
PRIMARY-SOURCE FORENSICS, SECOND-ORDER LINKS & AI ANALYST DESK
HTLD Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure
Share Count & Dilution Monitor (#25)
Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).
Reverse-DCF Expectations Hurdle (#30)
8.0%/yr Implied 5Y Growth
vs. -23.1% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).
Ellis Vennor Setup Ledger (#33)
No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on HTLD today. View full Setup Ledger →
🦋 Documented & Second-Order Butterfly Connections
Open Graph →
No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for HTLD. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.
AI Analyst Theses, Washington Policy & Company Video
🎬 No recent verified company-specific video clip queued for HTLD today (we never pad ticker pages with unrelated generic clips). Browse Macro Video Desk →
DETERMINISTIC MULTI-FACTOR EQUITY AUDIT • SEC EDGAR XBRL × RQD PEER BENCHMARK
📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (HTLD)
Industrials Rank #350 of 485
⚔️ CVLG vs HTLD Full Matrix →
1. Head-to-Head Industrials Peer Comparison (HTLD vs. CVLG, MRTN, ULH, WERN)
Industry: Trucking Freight/Courier Services (19 Tracked Issuers)Across 485 tracked Industrials securities in the Roarable RQD universe, Heartland Express Inc. (HTLD) ranks #350 by composite RQD confidence (44/100, grade D) and #268 by equity capitalization ($802.7M). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, MRTN leads on earnings valuation at 55.1x trailing P/E, while MRTN leads on capital efficiency and profitability with 2.5% ROIC and — gross margin. MRTN currently holds the highest overall quantitative score in the immediate peer group at 65/100 (C) compared with HTLD at 44/100 (D).
| Ticker / Company | Roarable Grade | RQD Score | Trailing P/E | Gross Margin | ROIC | 1D Change | Market Cap | Head-to-Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HTLD
ACTIVE
Heartland Express Inc. | D | 44/100 | — | — | -5.1% | +1.87% | $802.7M | Benchmark Subject |
| CVLG Covenant Logistics Group Inc. (Class A) | D | 47/100 | 101.0x | — | 0.4% | -0.52% | $731.4M | /cvlg-vs-htld → |
| MRTN Marten Transport Ltd. | C | 65/100 | 55.1x | — | 2.5% | +0.86% | $960.3M | /mrtn-vs-htld → |
| ULH Universal Logistics Holdings Inc. | D- | 39/100 | — | — | -4.2% | +2.23% | $459.3M | /ulh-vs-htld → |
| WERN Werner Enterprises Inc. | D | 45/100 | — | — | 0.4% | +1.84% | $1.66B | /wern-vs-htld → |
2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)
SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2025-12-31 • CIK 0000799233In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31), Heartland Express Inc. (HTLD) reported GAAP revenue of $805.7M (-23.1% vs. FY2024 revenue of $1.05B , and -33.3% cumulative change since FY2023) , GAAP net income of -$52.5M, operating cash flow of $89.3M, and free cash flow of -$66.9M (-292.0% YoY). On the balance sheet, HTLD closed FY2025 with $1.19B in total assets against $154.1M in total debt (Altman Z-Score: N/A, Piotroski F-Score: 4/9).
| Fiscal Period | Filing Date | Revenue | Net Income | Operating Cash Flow | Free Cash Flow | Total Assets | Total Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 (FY) | 2025-12-31 | $805.7M | -$52.5M | $89.3M | -$66.9M | $1.19B | $154.1M |
| FY2024 (FY) | 2024-12-31 | $1.05B | -$29.7M | $144.3M | $34.8M | $1.33B | $191.7M |
| FY2023 (FY) | 2023-12-31 | $1.21B | $14.8M | $165.3M | $165.3M | — | — |
3. HTLD Data-Verified Investor FAQ (RQD Rating, Sector Peers, SEC Forensics & Technicals)
✓ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLEDIs HTLD stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?
As of 2026-11-01, Heartland Express Inc. (NASDAQ: HTLD) is rated D (Sell / SELL) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 44/100 at a spot price of $10.38 (+1.87% 1D, market cap $802.7M). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 5/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 13/20, Executive Insider Alignment 11/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 12/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 3/20. Across 485 tracked Industrials issuers, HTLD ranks #350 in composite RQD confidence.
How does HTLD compare to CVLG and MRTN in the Industrials sector?
Within the Industrials sector (Trucking Freight/Courier Services), HTLD carries a Roarable D (44/100 RQD), trailing P/E of N/A, gross margin of —, and ROIC of -5.1%. By comparison, CVLG (Covenant Logistics Group Inc. (Class A)) holds a D grade (47/100 RQD, P/E 101.0x, ROIC 0.4%, cap $731.4M) and MRTN (Marten Transport Ltd.) posts a C grade (65/100 RQD, P/E 55.1x, ROIC 2.5%, cap $960.3M). Among the 5-stock peer group, MRTN leads on earnings multiple (55.1x) while MRTN leads on capital efficiency (2.5% ROIC).
What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for HTLD?
Per HTLD's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31, CIK 0000799233), Heartland Express Inc. generated $805.7M in revenue (-23.1% YoY), -$52.5M in net income, and -$66.9M in free cash flow against $1.19B in total assets and $154.1M in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Established market leader in Industrials with deep daily trading liquidity.. Primary risk factors monitored: Company executives have done more routine share selling than personal cash buying lately.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.
Where is HTLD trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?
HTLD last traded at $10.38 (+1.87% on volume of 788,964 shares), positioning the stock -9.90% below its 50-day simple moving average ($11.52) and -15.68% below its 200-day simple moving average ($12.31). Across its 52-week range of $7.00 to $16.64, HTLD sits at the 35.1% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 35.8 (NEUTRAL RANGE) and an implied next-earnings move of ±8.5% ($9.50 to $11.26).
HTLD Investor FAQ & Complete 8-Part Research Index
100% OPEN ACCESS • SEC EDGAR × CBOE × FREDWhy is HTLD stock moving today?
Why HTLD Stock advanced +1.87% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash. Stretched risk/reward at current multiples (-5% return on capital) under elevated 10-year interest-rate pressure.