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Here's What Key Metrics Tell Us About Heartland Express (HTLD) Q1 Earnings

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Heartland Express (HTLD - Free Report) reported $176.26 million in revenue for the quarter ended March 2026, representing a year-over-year decline of 19.7%. EPS of -$0.06 for the same period compares to -$0.18 a year ago.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of -0.06% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $176.36 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being -$0.13, the EPS surprise was +52%.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

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:
  • Operating ratio: 101.9% versus 107.9% estimated by two analysts on average.
  • Fuel surcharge revenue: $22.44 million compared to the $23.99 million average estimate based on two analysts.
  • Operating revenue, excluding fuel surcharge revenue: $153.81 million versus $152.37 million estimated by two analysts on average.

View all Key Company Metrics for Heartland Express here>>>

Shares of Heartland Express have returned +11.6% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +9.7% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

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