Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) Sets New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ:BLBD)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $82.48 and last traded at $82.4010, with a volume of 154741 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $78.34.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on BLBD shares. DA Davidson set a $86.00 price objective on Blue Bird in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Roth Capital began coverage on Blue Bird in a report on Thursday, June 25th. They set a “buy” rating and a $94.00 target price on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded Blue Bird from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. BTIG Research upped their price target on Blue Bird from $65.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC raised their price objective on Blue Bird from $78.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Blue Bird presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $82.17.

Blue Bird Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a current ratio of 1.83. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $73.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $62.65. The firm has a market cap of $2.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.97, a PEG ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.35.

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.12. Blue Bird had a net margin of 8.91% and a return on equity of 53.68%. The firm had revenue of $352.63 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $335.23 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.96 EPS. Blue Bird’s revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Blue Bird Corporation will post 4.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Blue Bird

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in Blue Bird by 197.3% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 712,707 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,497,000 after acquiring an additional 472,990 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP increased its holdings in shares of Blue Bird by 383.1% during the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 425,214 shares of the company’s stock valued at $24,471,000 after purchasing an additional 337,196 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its holdings in shares of Blue Bird by 41.8% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 1,102,335 shares of the company’s stock valued at $62,669,000 after purchasing an additional 324,710 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Blue Bird by 362.2% during the first quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 304,196 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,275,000 after purchasing an additional 238,379 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tudor Investment Corp ET AL acquired a new stake in Blue Bird in the third quarter worth about $10,932,000. 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.