Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) Stock Rating Cut to Neutral at Robert W. Baird

Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) was downgraded by research analysts at Robert W. Baird from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note issued on Tuesday, October 20th, MarketBeat.com reports. They currently have a $32.00 price objective on the transportation company’s stock, down from their previous price objective of $43.00. Robert W. Baird‘s price target indicates a potential upside of 17.95% from the stock’s current price.

Several other brokerages also recently commented on WERN. Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of Werner Enterprises from $40.00 to $32.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 20th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Werner Enterprises from $43.00 to $37.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Werner Enterprises from $47.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. TD Cowen reduced their price target on Werner Enterprises from $43.00 to $41.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Werner Enterprises in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Werner Enterprises has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $37.57.

Werner Enterprises Trading Down 7.7%

Shares of NASDAQ WERN traded down $2.25 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $27.13. 2,595,449 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,098,125. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -35.70 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a current ratio of 1.45. Werner Enterprises has a 52-week low of $23.06 and a 52-week high of $47.49. The company’s 50-day moving average is $35.02 and its 200-day moving average is $36.13.

Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The transportation company reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.16. Werner Enterprises had a negative net margin of 1.42% and a positive return on equity of 1.18%. The firm had revenue of $825.28 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $956.55 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($0.03) earnings per share. Werner Enterprises’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Werner Enterprises will post 0.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Werner Enterprises

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Renaissance Technologies LLC bought a new position in shares of Werner Enterprises during the first quarter valued at approximately $1,119,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in Werner Enterprises in the 2nd quarter valued at about $6,421,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of Werner Enterprises during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,042,000. Empowered Funds LLC raised its position in shares of Werner Enterprises by 30.0% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 284,197 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $8,358,000 after purchasing an additional 65,534 shares during the period. Finally, Edgestream Partners L.P. bought a new position in Werner Enterprises during the first quarter worth about $4,456,000. 89.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Werner Enterprises

Here are the key news stories impacting Werner Enterprises this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Werner reported adjusted earnings of $0.16 per share, matching analysts’ estimates and improving from a $0.03-per-share loss in the year-ago quarter. Revenue increased 23.2% year over year, while improved fleet efficiency supported the recovery. Werner Enterprises Swings To Q3 Profit; Revenue Rises 23%
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects fourth-quarter one-way revenue per total mile to rise 10% to 13% and reduced its 2026 net capital-expenditure outlook to $190 million-$205 million, which could support cash flow and operational efficiency. Werner Q4 Outlook and CapEx Update
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target to $34, while maintaining an “underweight” rating. Morgan Stanley retained its “overweight” rating despite lowering its target to $52 from $55. These targets indicate analysts see potential recovery, but the ratings reflect differing views on the stock’s near-term prospects.
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly revenue of $825.28 million was well below the $956.55 million consensus estimate, suggesting that the return to profitability has not yet been matched by a full demand or pricing recovery. Werner Enterprises Third-Quarter Results
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup cut its target to $32 and kept a “neutral” rating; Stifel lowered its target to $36 with a “hold” rating; and Wells Fargo reduced its target to $31 with an “equal weight” rating. The cluster of target reductions reinforces investor concerns about the pace of recovery.

About Werner Enterprises

Werner Enterprises, Inc is a transportation and logistics company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1956 by Clarence L. Werner, the company provides freight transportation and supply chain services to customers across North America.

The company’s operations include truckload transportation, dedicated transportation, and regional truckload services. Werner also provides logistics services, including freight brokerage, intermodal transportation, cross-border transportation, and supply chain management solutions.