Heartland Express (Nasdaq: HTLD) reported earnings on Jan. 20. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended Dec. 31 (Q4), Heartland Express missed slightly on revenue and beat expectations on earnings per share.
Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue increased slightly, and earnings per share improved significantly.
Gross margins increased, operating margins shrank, and net margins grew.
Revenue details
Heartland Express booked revenue of $131 million. The 11 analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated sales of $133 million. Sales were 1.5% higher than the prior-year quarter's $129 million.
Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions.
EPS details
EPS came in at $0.20. The 15 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ predicted $0.18 per share. GAAP EPS of $0.20 for Q4 were 18% higher than the prior-year quarter's $0.17 per share.
Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Figures may be non-GAAP to maintain comparability with estimates.
Margin details
For the quarter, gross margin was 65.2%, 3,020 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 13.0%, 380 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 13.0%, 110 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.
Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $130 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.17.
Next year's average estimate for revenue is $549 million. The average EPS estimate is $0.77.
Investor sentiment
The stock has a two-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 78 members out of 88 rating the stock outperform, and 10 members rating it underperform. Among 32 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 27 give Heartland Express a green thumbs-up, and five give it a red thumbs-down.
Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Heartland Express is hold, with an average price target of $15.05.
Over the decades, small-cap stocks like Heartland Express have provided market-beating returns, provided they're value-priced and have solid businesses. Read about a pair of companies with a lock on their markets in our latest free report: "Too Small to Fail: Two Small Caps the Government Won't Let Go Broke." Click here for instant access to this free report.
- Add Heartland Express to My Watchlist.
