HTLD Research | Milton Maxwell

HTLD

Heartland Express, Inc.

9.38

-0.09-0.95%

Dec 16, 4:00:02 PM EST

Upcoming Earnings

Report date

-/-

Earnings Call Transcripts

This Quarter (Q1 '26)

No earnings call transcript available yet

Last Quarter (Q4 '25)

No earnings call transcript available

Key Stats

Market Cap

726.46M

P/E (TTM)

Basic EPS (TTM)

-0.45

Dividend Yield

0.01%

Recent Filings

10-K

FY2025 results

3/3/26Mar 3, 2026

Heartland Express posted FY2025 operating revenues of $805.7 million, down 23% y/y amid weak freight demand and lower miles, with fuel surcharges dropping to $96.6 million on 2.6% cheaper diesel. Operating loss widened to $57.4 million (107.1% ratio) versus $20.2 million prior year, hit by $19.0 million CFI trade name impairment after rebranding integration, yet cost cuts trimmed salaries 23% and rent/purchased transport 35% while tractor age held steady at 2.6 years. Q4 momentum showed through $89.3 million operating cash flow funding $41.2 million debt paydown to $156 million, 1.2 million shares repurchased, and $0.08/share dividends. Sequential improvements in utilization built visibility for profitability. Excess truck capacity lingers as a freight drag.

8-K

Q4 loss on impairment, fleet unified

2/9/26Feb 9, 2026

Heartland Express reported Q4 operating revenue of $179.4 million and net loss of $19.4 million, hit by $19.0 million CFI trade name impairment after unifying its drivers into the Heartland fleet effective December 31, 2025. Full-year revenue fell to $805.7 million with $52.5 million net loss, yet adjusted operating ratio improved sequentially to 101.6%. Debt dropped $41.2 million. Sequential gains built momentum.

8-K

Helmich named CAO amid CFI integration

1/7/26Jan 7, 2026

Heartland Express appointed Joshua Helmich as Chief Administrative Officer effective January 1, 2026, amid CFI U.S. operations integration. He retains Secretary duties but steps down as CFI's SVP and CFO on December 31, 2025. Leadership realigns for seamless merger.

8-K

Quarterly dividend declared

12/19/25Dec 19, 2025

Heartland Express declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.02 per share, payable January 7, 2026, to shareholders of record December 26, 2025, totaling $1.6 million on 78 million shares. This marks the 90th consecutive quarterly payout since 2003, bringing cumulative dividends to $561.4 million including specials. Steady cash returns persist.

8-K

CFI U.S. integration announced

12/9/25Dec 9, 2025

Heartland Express announced the integration of CFI's U.S. operations into its brand, effective December 31, 2025. This follows CFI's improved 2025 performance after system conversions and aligns driver pay with Heartland's top-tier package. Integration boosts consolidated operations. Goodwill impact under review.

About

Heartland Express, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a short, medium, and long-haul truckload carrier and transportation services provider in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. It primarily provides nationwide asset-based dry van truckload service for shippers; cross-border freight and other transportation services; and temperature-controlled truckload services. The company offers its services under the Heartland Express, Millis Transfer, Smith Transport, and CFI brand names. It primarily serves retailers, manufacturers, and parcel carriers in consumer goods, appliances, food products, and automotive industries. Heartland Express, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa.

CEO

Mr. Michael J. Gerdin

IPO

11/5/1986

Website

https://www.heartlandexpress.com

Employees

5,220

Sector

Industrials

Industry

Trucking