Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) Sets New 1-Year High – Here’s Why

Werner Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:WERN)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $38.50 and last traded at $38.3890, with a volume of 322559 shares. The stock had previously closed at $37.86.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WERN has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of Werner Enterprises from $36.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Werner Enterprises from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Citigroup increased their target price on Werner Enterprises from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. UBS Group increased their target price on Werner Enterprises from $33.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised Werner Enterprises from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $34.00 price target on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Werner Enterprises has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $35.15.

Werner Enterprises Stock Up 1.2%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The company’s fifty day moving average is $31.87 and its 200-day moving average is $31.10. The company has a market cap of $2.30 billion, a PE ratio of -255.58, a PEG ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.24.

Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported $0.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by $0.05. The company had revenue of $730.14 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $812.50 million. Werner Enterprises had a negative net margin of 0.28% and a positive return on equity of 0.66%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 13.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted ($0.12) earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Werner Enterprises, Inc. will post 0.94 EPS for the current year.

Werner Enterprises Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, July 6th will be given a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 6th. Werner Enterprises’s dividend payout ratio is -373.33%.

Insider Activity

In related news, COO Eric J. Downing sold 1,428 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.00, for a total value of $49,980.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 57,364 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,007,740. This trade represents a 2.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Werner Enterprises

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in shares of Werner Enterprises by 33.8% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 21,660 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $635,000 after buying an additional 5,473 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in Werner Enterprises by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 36,697 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,075,000 after buying an additional 1,598 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its stake in Werner Enterprises by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 126,854 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $3,717,000 after purchasing an additional 401 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in Werner Enterprises by 24.5% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 76,767 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,100,000 after purchasing an additional 15,109 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its stake in Werner Enterprises by 159.6% in the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 226,085 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $6,186,000 after purchasing an additional 138,995 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.32% of the company’s stock.

Werner Enterprises Company Profile

Werner Enterprises, Inc, founded in 1956 by Clarence L. “Chris” Werner, is a leading transportation and logistics provider based in Omaha, Nebraska. The company began as a one‐truck operation and has since grown into one of North America’s largest carriers, offering an array of services to support diverse supply chains.

Werner’s core business activities include full truckload dry van services, dedicated contract carriage, intermodal transport and brokerage solutions. The company also provides value-added services such as warehousing, freight management and fleet maintenance through its network of terminals and service centers.