Heartland Express (HTLD) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: $647.91M
• Dividend Yield: 0.96%
• Average Volume (3M): 621.60K
• Price to Earnings (P/E): ―
• Beta (1Y): 0.99
• Revenue Growth: -16.42%
• EPS Growth: -49.44%
• Country: US
• Employees: 5,220
• Sector: Industrials
• Sector Strength: 72
• Industry: Trucking
• EPS (TTM): -0.14
• Shares Outstanding: 77,408,226
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 566,754
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 621,601
• PEG Ratio: 0.10
• Price to Book (P/B): 1.07
• Price to Sales (P/S): 0.84
• P/FCF Ratio: 25.38
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: 1.31
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: 0.91
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: 1.94
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: 6.10
• 1Y Price Target: $8.88
• Price Target Upside: 6.09% Upside
• Rating Consensus: Moderate Sell
• Number of Analyst Covering: 4

• Rating: 48 Neutral
• Price Target: $8.50 ▲(1.55% Upside)

Heartland Express is currently facing significant financial and valuation challenges, with declining revenues and profitability issues. The technical indicators suggest a lack of strong momentum, and the negative P/E ratio highlights profitability concerns. The stable balance sheet offers some reassurance, but cash flow constraints are a major risk.

Positive Factors

Stable Balance Sheet

A stable balance sheet with manageable leverage provides financial stability, allowing Heartland Express to weather economic fluctuations and invest in growth opportunities.

Operational Efficiency

Maintaining a stable gross profit margin indicates effective cost management and operational efficiency, which can support long-term profitability despite revenue challenges.

Strong Reputation

A strong reputation for reliability and safety helps maintain long-term client relationships, supporting consistent revenue streams and competitive advantage in the trucking industry.

Negative Factors

Declining Revenue Growth

Declining revenue growth indicates potential challenges in market demand or competitive positioning, which could impact long-term financial performance and market share.

Profitability Challenges

Negative return on equity suggests inefficiencies in generating profits from shareholders' investments, potentially limiting future growth and investor confidence.

Cash Flow Constraints

Significant cash flow constraints may hinder the company's ability to invest in growth initiatives, pay down debt, or return capital to shareholders, affecting long-term financial health.

Heartland Express Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Heartland Express, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a short-to-medium haul truckload carrier in the United States and Canada. It primarily provides nationwide asset-based dry van truckload service for shippers from Washington to Florida and New England to California; and temperature-controlled truckload services. The company offers its services under the Heartland Express and Millis Transfer brand names. It primarily serves retailers and manufacturers in consumer goods, appliances, food products, and automotive industries. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa.

How the Company Makes Money

Heartland Express generates revenue primarily through its freight transportation services, charging customers for moving goods over long distances using its fleet of trucks. The company operates on a per-mile basis and also utilizes contracts with shippers to ensure consistent revenue streams. Key revenue streams include spot market loads, dedicated contract services, and regional freight services. Additionally, Heartland Express benefits from a strong reputation for reliability and safety, which helps maintain long-term relationships with clients. The company may also leverage partnerships with logistics firms and freight brokers to maximize its load capacity and optimize routes, further enhancing its revenue potential.

Heartland Express Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Heartland Express is facing financial headwinds, with declining revenue and profitability impacting its income statement. The balance sheet shows moderate leverage, but decreasing equity and assets highlight financial challenges. While cash flow from operations is strong, the negative free cash flow trend suggests a need for better capital management.

Income Statement

Heartland Express has experienced a decline in revenue and profitability. The TTM data shows negative EBIT and net income, indicating operational challenges. Gross profit margin has also decreased, suggesting reduced pricing power or increased costs. The company's revenue has decreased compared to the previous year, highlighting a need for strategic adjustments to drive growth.

Balance Sheet

The company's balance sheet remains relatively stable, with a moderate debt-to-equity ratio, reflecting controlled leverage. However, the decreasing trend in stockholders' equity and total assets indicates potential financial strain. Despite the challenges, Heartland Express maintains a solid equity ratio, showcasing a buffer against liabilities.

Cash Flow

Operating cash flow remains strong, but free cash flow has significantly decreased, reflecting higher capital expenditures. The ratio of operating cash flow to net income is favorable, indicating efficient cash generation relative to earnings. However, the negative free cash flow trend poses a concern for sustainable cash management.

Breakdown	TTM	Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021	Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue	932.24M	1.05B	1.21B	968.00M	607.28M	645.26M
Gross Profit	437.70M	110.16M	145.28M	401.93M	227.87M	147.46M
EBITDA	139.36M	162.43M	243.08M	224.50M	210.13M	204.20M
Net Income	-35.86M	-29.72M	14.78M	133.58M	79.28M	70.81M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	1.30B	1.33B	1.51B	1.67B	928.54M	951.18M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	22.88M	12.81M	28.12M	49.46M	157.74M	113.85M
Total Debt	198.45M	208.61M	317.44M	433.96M	0.00	0.00
Total Liabilities	512.63M	511.59M	644.39M	814.01M	201.44M	226.84M
Stockholders Equity	786.74M	822.60M	865.26M	855.48M	727.10M	724.33M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	-31.42M	34.81M	-43.33M	34.15M	-9.22M	-25.49M
Operating Cash Flow	120.22M	144.35M	165.27M	194.71M	123.42M	178.85M
Investing Cash Flow	-61.23M	-46.54M	-67.87M	-663.26M	-2.65M	-111.05M
Financing Cash Flow	-59.57M	-112.71M	-120.69M	359.26M	-78.14M	-32.74M

Heartland Express Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Neutral
• Last Price: 8.37
• 50DMA: Negative
• 100DMA: Negative
• 200DMA: Negative
• MACD: Negative
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For HTLD, the sentiment is Neutral. The current price of 8.37 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 8.37, below the 50-day MA of 8.42, and below the 200-day MA of 9.06, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.03 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 50.12 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 60.77 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Neutral sentiment for HTLD.

Heartland Express Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
ARCB	69 Neutral	$1.72B	10.88	12.50%	0.63%	-6.42%	25.72%
CVLG	69 Neutral	$547.43M	16.81	6.84%	1.33%	0.75%	-15.76%
Sector *	63 Neutral	$10.79B	15.43	7.44%	2.01%	2.89%	-14.66%
WERN	60 Neutral	$1.70B	31.94	3.65%	1.98%	-6.43%	-13.76%
MRTN	56 Neutral	$877.16M	44.95	2.53%	2.25%	-11.77%	-52.06%
ULH	56 Neutral	$530.80M	8.41	9.67%	2.08%	-5.55%	-52.21%
HTLD	48 Neutral	$647.91M	-17.64	-4.42%	0.96%	-16.42%	-49.44%

Heartland Express Corporate Events

Heartland Express Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend

On September 12, 2025, Heartland Express, Inc. announced the declaration of a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.02 per share, to be paid on October 3, 2025, to shareholders of record as of September 23, 2025. This marks the company’s eighty-ninth consecutive quarterly dividend, totaling $559.9 million in cash dividends since the program’s inception in 2003, reflecting its commitment to returning value to shareholders.

The most recent analyst rating on (HTLD) stock is a Hold with a $8.50 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Heartland Express stock, see the HTLD Stock Forecast page.