First Trust Advisors LP Boosts Stock Position in Saia, Inc. $SAIA

First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in Saia, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAIA) by 141.3% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 557,129 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 326,206 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP’s holdings in Saia were worth $166,782,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its position in Saia by 177.5% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 111 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming bought a new stake in shares of Saia in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Saia by 6,400.0% during the 3rd quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 195 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $58,000 after buying an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. HM Payson & Co. raised its position in shares of Saia by 28.9% during the 3rd quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 205 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in shares of Saia by 28.4% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 298 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $89,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the last quarter.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Stephens lifted their price target on Saia from $414.00 to $445.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Saia from $349.00 to $365.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Citigroup raised their price objective on Saia from $431.00 to $442.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $262.00 target price on Saia in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. Finally, Evercore set a $435.00 target price on Saia in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Saia presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $380.47.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Patrick D. Sugar sold 2,706 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $386.74, for a total transaction of $1,046,518.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 9,121 shares in the company, valued at $3,527,455.54. The trade was a 22.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Matthew J. Batteh sold 1,110 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $375.71, for a total value of $417,038.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 5,360 shares in the company, valued at $2,013,805.60. This trade represents a 17.16% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 15,533 shares of company stock valued at $6,015,055. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Saia Price Performance

SAIA stock opened at $359.78 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $9.60 billion, a PE ratio of 37.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 2.04. Saia, Inc. has a 12 month low of $229.12 and a 12 month high of $430.11. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $372.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $326.62. The company has a current ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The transportation company reported $1.77 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.90 by ($0.13). The firm had revenue of $789.95 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $773.82 million. Saia had a return on equity of 9.86% and a net margin of 7.89%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.84 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Saia, Inc. will post 15.46 earnings per share for the current year.

About Saia

Saia, Inc is a publicly traded transportation company specializing in less-than-truckload (LTL) freight services across North America. Headquartered in Johns Creek, Georgia, the company focuses on the efficient movement of time-sensitive freight for a diverse customer base that spans retail, manufacturing, automotive, and healthcare industries. By leveraging a network of terminals and service centers, Saia provides tailored solutions designed to optimize supply chain performance.

The company’s core offerings include regional, interregional, and national LTL shipping, supported by volumetric LTL and port intermodal services.