Heartland Express, Inc. (HTLD) AI Stock Analysis

Heartland Express, Inc., and its subsidiaries operate as a short-to-medium haul truckload carrier across the United States and Canada. Operating under the Heartland Express and Millis Transfer brand names, the company specializes in asset-based dry van truckload services alongside temperature-controlled transportation. Headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa, the company serves shippers in consumer goods, appliances, food products, and automotive industries. Its nationwide network covers corridors from Washington to Florida and New England to California, providing supply chain solutions through its fleet.

Annual revenue rose from $607.3M in FY2021 to $1.21B in FY2023, before declining to $1.05B in FY2024 and $805.7M in FY2025, recording a 5-year revenue CAGR of 4.5%. Profitability contracted over the same period, with operating margin moving from 17.4% in FY2021 to -7.7% in FY2025, and net income shifting from $79.3M to -$52.5M. Over the trailing twelve months, revenue reached $736.3M with a profit margin of -3.0%. In the latest quarter ending June 30, 2026, quarterly revenue fell 12.5% year-over-year, and quarterly earnings dropped 66.1%.

As of June 30, 2026, Heartland Express held $62.4M in cash and short-term investments and $146.4M in total debt, resulting in net debt of $84.0M. Shareholders' equity was $756.3M, supporting a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19 and a current ratio of 1.58. In FY2025, operating cash flow reached $89.3M, while capital expenditures of $156.2M resulted in free cash flow of -$66.9M. Capital allocation in FY2025 included $10.4M directed to share buybacks and $6.2M in dividends paid.

At a closing price of $10.95 on October 16, 2026, Heartland Express carries a market cap of $846.8M and an enterprise value of $998.9M. The stock trades at a forward P/E of 21.1x, above the 17.2x median of its US-listed Industrials peers. Its EV to EBITDA multiple is 7.8x and its price-to-sales ratio is 1.2x, both below the peer medians of 13.9x and 1.5x. Over the past year, the stock returned 30.7%, outpacing the 16.8% return for the S&P 500 (SPY), while its 5-year return of -31.7% lagged the index's 83.0% gain.

Heartland Express pays a forward annual dividend of $0.08 per share, representing a dividend yield of 0.73%. Dividends are distributed on a quarterly basis with a payout ratio of 42.1%. The company has paid dividends for 24 consecutive years, while recording a 5-year annualized dividend growth rate of 0.0%. Its most recent ex-dividend date was September 25, 2026.

Consensus ratings include 1 Strong Buy, 3 Holds, and 2 Sells. The mean price target is $13.20, which is 20.5% above the last close of $10.95. For the current fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, consensus estimates project revenue of $740.9M and EPS of $0.16. For the following fiscal year, 4 analysts estimate revenue of $803.3M and EPS of $0.48. Heartland Express beat EPS estimates in each of the last 4 quarters, and its next earnings date is October 30, 2026.

This page is an AI-written research summary of Heartland Express, Inc. (HTLD). The text was generated on October 30, 2026 from Quotelinks data as of October 16, 2026 (company profile, annual results, latest balance sheet, valuation, price performance and analyst estimates). An automatic check rejects any draft that contains a figure not found in that data. It is not investment advice; verify figures on the linked tabs before making decisions.

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