<div id="readability-page-1"><p>Heartland Express, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTLD - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $11.86 and last traded at $11.78, with a volume of 1132320 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $11.08.</p><div><p><span></span><span>Get <strong>Heartland Express</strong> alerts:</span></p></div><p>The transportation company reported ($0.06) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.07) by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $179.36 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $194.54 million. Heartland Express had a negative net margin of 4.01% and a negative return on equity of 4.37%. The business's quarterly revenue was down 26.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned ($0.12) EPS. </p><h2>Heartland Express Dividend Announcement</h2><p>The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were paid a $0.02 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Heartland Express's dividend payout ratio  is presently -17.78%. </p><h2>Analyst Ratings Changes</h2><p>Several research analysts recently weighed in on HTLD shares. JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Heartland Express from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an &#34;underweight&#34; rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Heartland Express from $8.00 to $9.00 and gave the stock an &#34;underweight&#34; rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Heartland Express from a &#34;hold&#34; rating to a &#34;sell&#34; rating in a research report on Saturday. Robert W. Baird  set a $12.00 target price on Heartland Express and gave the stock an &#34;outperform&#34; rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley  set a $9.00 target price on Heartland Express in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. One equities research analyst  has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued  a Hold rating and three have issued  a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of &#34;Reduce&#34; and an average price target of $9.75.</p><p><b>Read Our Latest Research Report on HTLD</b></p><h2>Hedge Funds Weigh In On Heartland Express</h2><p>Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its holdings in shares of  Heartland Express by 185.5% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 4,673 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 3,036 shares during the last quarter.  Autumn Glory Partners LLC bought a new stake in  Heartland Express during the third quarter worth $89,000.  Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in  Heartland Express in the third quarter valued at $89,000.  BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its stake in  Heartland Express by 51.3% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 11,549 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $97,000 after acquiring an additional 3,918 shares during the last quarter.  Finally, Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. acquired a new position in shares of  Heartland Express during the 3rd quarter worth about $101,000. Institutional investors own  53.45% of the company's stock. </p><h2>Heartland Express Stock Performance</h2><p>The company has a market capitalization of $912.36 million, a P/E ratio of -26.18 and a beta of 1.15. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $9.61 and its 200-day moving average price is $8.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. </p><h2>Heartland Express Company Profile</h2> (Get Free Report)<p>Heartland Express, Inc <span>NASDAQ: HTLD<span></span></span> is a publicly traded truckload carrier headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa. The company specializes in full truckload transportation, offering dry-van services that connect shippers with customers across the continental United States. Its primary focus is on over-the-road freight movements, serving industries such as manufacturing, retail, and consumer goods.  </p><p>Founded in 1978 as Heartland Motor Freight, the company has grown from a regional carrier into one of the larger U.S.</p><h2>Further Reading</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than Heartland Express</li><li>~$1.5T SpaceX IPO: Pre-IPO Opportunity</li><li>The gold chart Wall Street is terrified of…</li><li>GOLD ALERT</li><li>What a Former CIA Agent Knows About the Coming Collapse</li><li>Market Panic: Trump Just Dropped a Bomb on Your Stocks</li></ul><p><em>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.</em></p><h2>Should You Invest $1,000 in Heartland Express Right Now?</h2><p>Before you consider Heartland Express, you'll want to hear this.</p><p>MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Heartland Express wasn't on the list.</p><p>While Heartland Express currently has a Reduce rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.</p><p>View The Five Stocks Here</p>                  </div>

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HTLD

<p>Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) reached a new 52-week high of $11.86 following a better-than-expected earnings report, with an EPS of ($0.06) surpassing estimates of ($0.07). Despite a 26.1% revenue decline year-over-year, the company reported $179.36 million in revenue. A quarterly dividend of $0.02 was also announced. Analysts have mixed ratings on the stock, with a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $9.75. Institutional investors hold 53.45% of the stock, which has a market cap of $912.36 million.</p>

Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) Sets New 1-Year High on Earnings Beat