Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) Reaches New 52-Week High – Here’s Why

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

BLBD has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Blue Bird in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $65.00 target price on shares of Blue Bird in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Needham & Company LLC raised their price objective on shares of Blue Bird from $70.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Blue Bird from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of Blue Bird from $70.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and six have given a Buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $67.20.

Blue Bird Trading Down 0.5%

The company has a 50 day moving average of $52.16 and a two-hundred day moving average of $53.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.95 billion, a PE ratio of 15.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.81.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Phil Horlock sold 15,381 shares of Blue Bird stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.42, for a total value of $775,510.02. Following the completion of 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Razvan Radulescu sold 7,984 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.39, for a total value of $402,313.76. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 49,087 shares in the company, valued at $2,473,493.93. This trade represents a 13.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 27,290 shares of company stock worth $1,417,170. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Blue Bird

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Blue Trust Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Blue Bird in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in Blue Bird by 222.7% in the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 823 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 568 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in Blue Bird by 10,028.6% during the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 709 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 702 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Blue Bird in the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Blue Bird by 159.9% during the 2nd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 993 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 611 shares in the last quarter. 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.