Werner Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:WERN) Receives $37.29 Consensus PT from Brokerages

Shares of Werner Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:WERN - Get Free Report) have earned an average recommendation of "Reduce" from the fourteen brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $37.29.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Werner Enterprises from $38.00 to $35.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. TD Cowen increased their price target on Werner Enterprises from $40.00 to $41.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Evercore ISI reduced their target price on shares of Werner Enterprises from $35.00 to $32.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Werner Enterprises from $33.00 to $32.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on shares of Werner Enterprises in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. They issued a "sell" rating and a $34.00 price objective on the stock.

Werner Enterprises Stock Performance

WERN traded down $0.24 during trading on Thursday, reaching $35.46. 405,381 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 532,596. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 33.43 and a beta of 0.84. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $38.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $37.48. Werner Enterprises has a 1 year low of $33.12 and a 1 year high of $42.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 1.49.

Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The transportation company reported $0.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.21 by ($0.06). Werner Enterprises had a net margin of 1.48% and a return on equity of 3.58%. The firm had revenue of $745.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $765.24 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.42 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Werner Enterprises will post 0.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Werner Enterprises Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be issued a $0.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.58%. Werner Enterprises's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 76.71%.

Institutional Trading of Werner Enterprises

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in Werner Enterprises during the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. Quest Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Werner Enterprises in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of Werner Enterprises by 145.7% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 801 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 475 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Werner Enterprises by 2,390.3% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 1,544 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 1,482 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV raised its stake in Werner Enterprises by 43.1% during the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,071 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $80,000 after buying an additional 624 shares in the last quarter. 89.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Werner Enterprises

Werner Enterprises, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in transporting truckload shipments of general commodities in interstate and intrastate commerce in the United States, Mexico, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Truckload Transportation Services and Werner Logistics.