Blue Bird Co. (NASDAQ:BLBD) Shares Acquired by EVR Research LP

EVR Research LP boosted its stake in Blue Bird Co. (NASDAQ:BLBD - Free Report) by 173.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 410,000 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 260,000 shares during the quarter. Blue Bird accounts for about 5.3% of EVR Research LP's portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest holding. EVR Research LP owned 1.28% of Blue Bird worth $15,838,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kennedy Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Blue Bird by 45.4% during the fourth quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 213,548 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,249,000 after acquiring an additional 66,695 shares during the last quarter. Capital Fund Management S.A. acquired a new position in Blue Bird in the 4th quarter valued at $653,000. CenterBook Partners LP acquired a new position in Blue Bird in the 4th quarter valued at $546,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Blue Bird in the 4th quarter valued at $6,743,000. Finally, FMR LLC boosted its stake in Blue Bird by 162.8% during the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 4,840,198 shares of the company's stock worth $186,977,000 after purchasing an additional 2,998,453 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.59% of the company's stock.

Blue Bird Trading Down 1.3 %

NASDAQ:BLBD traded down $0.45 on Wednesday, hitting $33.25. The stock had a trading volume of 570,878 shares, compared to its average volume of 666,892. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $34.39 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $38.76. The stock has a market cap of $1.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.29, a PEG ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. Blue Bird Co. has a 1-year low of $30.04 and a 1-year high of $59.40.

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Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.83 by $0.03. Blue Bird had a return on equity of 75.22% and a net margin of 8.05%. Equities research analysts expect that Blue Bird Co. will post 3.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Blue Bird from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. Needham & Company LLC decreased their target price on shares of Blue Bird from $66.00 to $49.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $58.21.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Blue Bird news, CFO Razvan Radulescu sold 2,848 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.12, for a total transaction of $108,565.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 88,664 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,379,871.68. This trade represents a 3.11 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

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.