Group 1 - Heartland Express reported revenue of $242.58 million for the quarter ended December 2024, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 11.9% [1] - The company's EPS for the same period was -$0.02, compared to $0.06 a year ago, indicating a significant drop in profitability [1] - The reported revenue fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $254.84 million, resulting in a surprise of -4.81% [1] Group 2 - Heartland Express delivered an EPS surprise of +50.00%, with the consensus EPS estimate being -$0.04 [1] - The operating ratio for the company was reported at 99.6%, which is better than the average estimate of 101.4% based on two analysts [4] - Fuel surcharge revenue was $28 million, significantly lower than the average estimate of $33.20 million, representing a year-over-year decline of 29.5% [4] Group 3 - Operating revenue, excluding fuel surcharge revenue, was $214.58 million, compared to the average estimate of $221.65 million, marking a year-over-year change of -8.9% [4] - Over the past month, shares of Heartland Express have returned +6.4%, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.8% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), suggesting it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term [3]

Company Performance - Heartland Express reported a quarterly loss of $0.02 per share, better than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.04, and compared to earnings of $0.06 per share a year ago, indicating a 50% earnings surprise [1] - The company posted revenues of $242.58 million for the quarter ended December 2024, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.81%, and down from $275.35 million year-over-year [2] - Over the last four quarters, Heartland Express has surpassed consensus EPS estimates only once and has topped consensus revenue estimates just once [2] Stock Outlook - Heartland Express shares have increased approximately 5.3% since the beginning of the year, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 2.2% [3] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the coming quarter is -$0.06 on revenues of $242.69 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $0.17 on revenues of $1.1 billion [7] Industry Context - The Transportation - Truck industry, to which Heartland Express belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 6% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating potential challenges ahead [8] - Empirical research suggests a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which could impact Heartland Express's stock performance [5]

Financial Performance - Heartland Express reported operating revenue of $242.6 million for Q4 2024, down from $275.3 million in Q4 2023, reflecting a decrease of 11.5% [4][5] - For the full year 2024, operating revenue was $1.0 billion, a decline of 13.2% compared to $1.2 billion in 2023 [5] - The company experienced a net loss of $1.9 million in Q4 2024, compared to a net income of $5.1 million in Q4 2023, resulting in a basic loss per share of $0.02 [2][4] - For the twelve-month period, the net loss was $29.7 million, compared to a net income of $14.8 million in 2023, with a basic loss per share of $0.38 [5] Operating Ratios - The operating ratio for Q4 2024 was reported at 99.6%, compared to 96.1% in Q4 2023, indicating a deterioration in operational efficiency [4][5] - The non-GAAP adjusted operating ratio for Q4 2024 was 98.9%, compared to 94.9% in the same quarter of the previous year [4][5] - For the full year 2024, the operating ratio was 101.9%, significantly worse than the 96.5% reported in 2023 [5] Debt Management - The company paid down $100.3 million in debt during 2024, with total debt and financing lease obligations at $200.7 million as of December 31, 2024 [6][3] - Since the acquisitions in 2022, Heartland Express has repaid nearly $300 million in debt and capitalized leases [3] Cash Flow and Liquidity - Net cash flows from operations for the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2024, were $144.3 million, representing 13.8% of operating revenues [7] - The company ended the year with $12.8 million in cash, a decrease of $15.3 million from the previous year [6] Fleet and Assets - The average age of the tractor fleet was 2.5 years as of December 31, 2024, compared to 2.2 years in 2023, while the trailer fleet's average age increased to 7.4 years from 6.4 years [8] Shareholder Returns - Heartland Express declared regular dividends of $0.02 per share during each quarter of 2024, maintaining a commitment to returning capital to shareholders [9]

Core Viewpoint - Heartland Express (HTLD) is expected to report a year-over-year decline in earnings due to lower revenues, with a consensus outlook indicating a quarterly loss of $0.04 per share, representing a -166.7% change from the previous year, and revenues projected at $254.84 million, down 7.5% from the same quarter last year [1][3]. Earnings Expectations - The upcoming earnings report could lead to a stock price increase if the results exceed expectations, while missing estimates may result in a decline [2]. - The consensus EPS estimate has been revised 50% lower in the last 30 days, reflecting a reassessment by analysts [4]. Earnings Surprise Prediction - The Zacks Earnings ESP model indicates that the Most Accurate Estimate for Heartland Express is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, resulting in a positive Earnings ESP of +25%, suggesting a likelihood of beating the consensus EPS estimate [10][11]. - A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, especially when combined with a Zacks Rank of 1, 2, or 3 [8]. Historical Performance - Heartland Express has only beaten consensus EPS estimates once in the last four quarters, with a significant miss of -500% in the last reported quarter [12][13]. Conclusion - While Heartland Express shows potential as an earnings-beat candidate, investors should consider other factors influencing stock performance beyond just earnings results [14][16].

Investors in Heartland Express, Inc. (HTLD) need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the Dec 20, 2024 $5 Call had some of the highest implied volatility of all equity options today.What is Implied Volatility?Implied volatility shows how much movement the market is expecting in the future. Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other. It could a ...

Heartland Express (HTLD) reported $259.86 million in revenue for the quarter ended September 2024, representing a year-over-year decline of 11.9%. EPS of -$0.12 for the same period compares to -$0.14 a year ago. The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $269.04 million, representing a surprise of -3.41%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of -500.00%, with the consensus EPS estimate being -$0.02. While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue an ...

Heartland Express (HTLD) came out with a quarterly loss of $0.12 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.02. This compares to loss of $0.14 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -500%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this trucking and logistics company would post a loss of $0.04 per share when it actually produced a loss of $0.04, delivering no surprise.Over the last four quarters, the compa ...

NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa, Oct. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Heartland Express, Inc. (Nasdaq: HTLD) announced today financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024. Three months ended September 30, 2024: Operating Revenue of $259.9 million, Net Loss of $9.3 million, Basic Loss per Share of $0.12, Operating Ratio of 102.7% and 102.6% Non-GAAP Adjusted Operating Ratio(1), Total Assets of $1.4 billion, Stockholders' Equity of $825.7 million. Nine months ended September 30, 2024: Operating Re ...

Financial Performance - Operating revenue for Q2 2024 was $274.8 million, a decrease of 10.2% from $306.2 million in Q2 2023[2] - For the six months ended June 30, 2024, operating revenue was $545.1 million, down 14.4% from $637.1 million in the same period of 2023[3] - The net loss for Q2 2024 was $3.5 million, compared to a net income of $7.8 million in Q2 2023[1] - The basic loss per share for the six months ended June 30, 2024, was $0.24, compared to earnings per share of $0.26 in the same period of 2023[3] - Operating income fell to $0.3 million compared to $16.2 million in the same period of 2023[11] - Net loss was $3.5 million, a decline from a net income of $7.8 million in Q2 2023[11] - Basic loss per share was $0.04, down from earnings per share of $0.10 in the same quarter of 2023[11] Operational Efficiency - The operating ratio for Q2 2024 improved to 99.9%, compared to 105.3% in Q1 2024[1] - The non-GAAP adjusted operating ratio for the six months ended June 30, 2024, was 102.5%, compared to 92.4% in the same period of 2023[3] - The operating ratio was 99.9%, compared to 94.7% in Q2 2023, indicating a significant increase in operational inefficiency[11] Debt and Assets - Year-to-date debt repayments totaled $63.4 million in 2024, with a total of $258.9 million repaid since the acquisitions in 2022[1] - The company ended Q2 2024 with total assets of $1.4 billion and stockholders' equity of $836.8 million[3] - Total long-term liabilities decreased to $442.8 million from $520.9 million year-over-year[20] Market Outlook - The company expects freight market improvements to extend into 2025 due to excess capacity in the industry[10] Stockholder Returns - The company repurchased $7.3 million of its common stock during Q2 2024[10] - Cumulative cash dividends paid to stockholders reached $552.1 million since 2003[13] Capital Expenditures and Cash Flow - Expected net capital expenditures for 2024 are approximately $15 to $20 million[13] - Net cash flows from operations for the first six months of 2024 were $71.0 million, representing 13.0% of operating revenue[19] Fleet Management - Average age of the consolidated tractor fleet increased to 2.6 years from 2.1 years year-over-year[13] Revenue Components - Fuel surcharge revenues decreased to $36.8 million from $41.5 million year-over-year[11]

View all Key Company Metrics for Heartland Express here>>> The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $276.49 million, representing a surprise of -0.63%. The company has not delivered EPS surprise, with the consensus EPS estimate being -$0.04. Here is how Heartland Express performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts: Heartland Express (HTLD) reported $274.75 million in revenue for the quarter ended June 2024 ...