Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) Earns Buy Rating from Needham & Company LLC

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reaffirmed by investment analysts at Needham & Company LLC in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $86.00 price objective on the stock. Needham & Company LLC’s price objective points to a potential upside of 25.07% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Blue Bird from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, July 25th. BTIG Research raised their price objective on Blue Bird from $65.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. DA Davidson set a $86.00 target price on Blue Bird in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Barclays upped their target price on Blue Bird from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Roth Capital assumed coverage on Blue Bird in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. They set a “buy” rating and a $94.00 price target for the company. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $85.50.

Blue Bird Trading Up 4.2%

NASDAQ:BLBD opened at $68.76 on Thursday. Blue Bird has a twelve month low of $46.14 and a twelve month high of $83.39. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $75.12 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $64.95. The company has a market cap of $2.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.36.

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $517.16 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $485.73 million. Blue Bird had a net margin of 17.48% and a return on equity of 39.97%. As a group, analysts expect that Blue Bird will post 4.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of BLBD. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Blue Bird during the second quarter worth approximately $207,493,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Blue Bird by 7.1% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,041,085 shares of the company’s stock worth $95,931,000 after acquiring an additional 135,562 shares during the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its stake in Blue Bird by 41.8% in the 1st quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 1,102,335 shares of the company’s stock valued at $62,669,000 after acquiring an additional 324,710 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in Blue Bird by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,048,028 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,257,000 after purchasing an additional 8,430 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Blue Bird by 14.5% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 865,136 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,661,000 after purchasing an additional 109,668 shares during the last quarter. 93.59% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Blue Bird

Here are the key news stories impacting Blue Bird this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations. Blue Bird reported fiscal Q3 earnings of $1.28 per share, ahead of analyst estimates ranging from $1.22 to $1.25 and up from $1.19 a year earlier. Revenue reached $517.16 million, well above the $485.73 million consensus estimate. Blue Bird Q3 earnings and revenues top estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue outlook was raised or reaffirmed above consensus. Blue Bird provided fiscal 2026 revenue guidance of approximately $1.8 billion, compared with analyst expectations near $1.7 billion. The company’s high profitability, including a reported 17.48% net margin and 53.78% return on equity, further supports the bullish reaction. Blue Bird quarterly earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised their valuation targets. BTIG lifted its price target from $80 to $95, DA Davidson raised its target from $86 to $91 and Needham reaffirmed a Buy rating with an $86 target. These targets imply substantial upside from recent trading levels and indicate continued confidence in Blue Bird’s earnings outlook. Analyst price target updates
• Positive Sentiment: Ford collaboration may strengthen manufacturing capabilities. Blue Bird plans to assemble bus chassis in collaboration with Ford, a move that could support production flexibility and supply-chain efficiency. The financial impact and implementation details remain to be established. Blue Bird to assemble chassis with Ford
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-term trading has been volatile. Coverage also focused on why BLBD shares were falling during part of the session, indicating that some investors may have been digesting the earnings release or taking profits after earlier moves. The broader earnings and analyst news flow remains favorable. Why Blue Bird shares were falling

Blue Bird Company Profile

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.