Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) Hits New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ:BLBD) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $62.90 and last traded at $60.8790, with a volume of 70921 shares. The stock had previously closed at $62.01.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on BLBD. Bank of America upped their target price on Blue Bird from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Barclays raised their target price on Blue Bird from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. DA Davidson boosted their price target on shares of Blue Bird from $70.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $65.00 price objective on shares of Blue Bird in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Blue Bird in a report on Monday, November 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and six have given a Buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $67.20.

Blue Bird Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $1.87 billion, a PE ratio of 14.84, a PEG ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.81 and a quick ratio of 1.21. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $52.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $53.87.

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.80 by $0.20. Blue Bird had a net margin of 8.65% and a return on equity of 57.60%. The company had revenue of $333.08 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $325.74 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.92 earnings per share. Blue Bird’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Blue Bird Corporation will post 3.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Razvan Radulescu sold 3,925 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.98, for a total transaction of $239,346.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 42,255 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,576,709.90. This represents a 8.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Phil Horlock sold 15,381 shares of Blue Bird stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.42, for a total transaction of $775,510.02. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 225,385 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,363,911.70. This trade represents a 6.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 27,290 shares of company stock worth $1,417,170. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Blue Bird

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in shares of Blue Bird by 40.0% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,267,131 shares of the company’s stock worth $97,849,000 after acquiring an additional 647,637 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Blue Bird by 7.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,041,085 shares of the company’s stock worth $95,931,000 after acquiring an additional 135,562 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Blue Bird by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,048,028 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,257,000 after buying an additional 8,430 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in Blue Bird by 185.6% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 925,852 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,283,000 after purchasing an additional 601,690 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in Blue Bird by 14.5% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 865,136 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,661,000 after purchasing an additional 109,668 shares during the period. 93.59% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Blue Bird

Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ: BLBD) is a leading manufacturer of buses and mass transportation vehicles headquartered in Fort Valley, Georgia. The company’s core business encompasses the design, engineering, and production of school buses and activity buses, with a product lineup that includes conventional (Type C) models, transit-style (Type D) models and specialty configurations for special-needs and activity transport. In recent years, Blue Bird has expanded its offerings to include zero-emission electric school buses, reflecting its commitment to advanced propulsion technologies and environmental sustainability.

Established in 1927, Blue Bird has built a legacy of safety and reliability in student transportation.