Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) Upgraded at StockNews.com

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued on Tuesday.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on the company. Bank of America cut their price target on Blue Bird from $66.00 to $63.50 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on shares of Blue Bird in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. They set a "buy" rating and a $55.00 price target on the stock. Craig Hallum increased their price objective on shares of Blue Bird from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Roth Capital lowered shares of Blue Bird from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, Roth Mkm lowered shares of Blue Bird from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $48.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $60.64.

Blue Bird Stock Performance

Shares of BLBD traded down $0.29 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $38.85. 232,834 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 627,869. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 1.37. The stock's fifty day moving average is $41.64 and its 200 day moving average is $46.95. Blue Bird has a 1-year low of $24.08 and a 1-year high of $59.40. The stock has a market cap of $1.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.59.

Insider Transactions at Blue Bird

In other Blue Bird news, CFO Razvan Radulescu sold 19,171 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.89, for a total transaction of $822,244.19. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 89,347 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,832,092.83. This represents a 17.67 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Blue Bird

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BLBD. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Blue Bird during the 3rd quarter worth $987,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Blue Bird by 34.5% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 308,253 shares of the company's stock valued at $14,784,000 after acquiring an additional 79,129 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Blue Bird by 95.9% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 52,216 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,504,000 after acquiring an additional 25,563 shares during the last quarter. Algert Global LLC increased its position in Blue Bird by 360.0% in the second quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 105,651 shares of the company's stock worth $5,689,000 after purchasing an additional 82,681 shares during the period. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Blue Bird by 60.7% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 58,019 shares of the company's stock worth $2,783,000 after purchasing an additional 21,919 shares during the last quarter. 93.59% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Blue Bird

Blue Bird Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, designs, engineers, manufactures, and sells school buses in the United States, Canada, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Bus and Parts. It offers Type C, Type D, and specialty buses; and alternative power options through its propane powered, gasoline powered, compressed natural gas powered, and electric powered school buses, as well as diesel engines.

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