Forward Air (NASDAQ:FWRD) Major Shareholder Buys $4,034,250.00 in Stock

Forward Air Corporation (NASDAQ:FWRD) major shareholder Cetus Capital Vi, L.P. acquired 225,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 20th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $17.93 per share, for a total transaction of $4,034,250.00. Following the purchase, the insider directly owned 3,388,709 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $60,759,552.37. This represents a 7.11% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Large shareholders that own 10% or more of a company’s shares are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Forward Air Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of NASDAQ FWRD traded up $0.43 on Tuesday, reaching $27.24. 480,896 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 561,223. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $27.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $25.71. Forward Air Corporation has a 12 month low of $9.78 and a 12 month high of $32.47. The company has a market cap of $851.25 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.08 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.73.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on FWRD shares. Susquehanna increased their target price on Forward Air from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Forward Air in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Forward Air from $30.00 to $32.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Forward Air in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Forward Air from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $35.00.

Trending Headlines about Forward Air

Here are the key news stories impacting Forward Air this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cetus Capital increased its stake in October by acquiring 225,000 shares at about $17.93 each (a ~7.1% bump to its holdings), which can be read as a vote of confidence from a major holder. Cetus Capital acquisition filing
• Neutral Sentiment: Forward Air is scheduled to report quarterly earnings soon, which is a routine catalyst that could move the stock depending on results and guidance. Earnings projection notice
• Neutral Sentiment: Public short-interest data shows effectively zero reported short interest and a 0.0 days-to-cover figure — this looks like an anomalous/empty data print and is unlikely to be a meaningful immediate driver. (No external article link available.)
• Negative Sentiment: Cetus Capital subsequently sold multiple blocks totaling roughly 302k shares across November (and an additional October sale), representing a several-percent reduction in its stake and proceeds of roughly $6M — heavy insider selling from a large holder can weigh on sentiment. Cetus Capital sale filings
• Negative Sentiment: Market writeups flag fundamental pressure: analysis highlights that AI-related costs and other operational headwinds could compress margins and that Forward Air faces broader challenges beyond AI alone — this type of critique can prompt caution among investors ahead of earnings. Margin and fundamentals analysis
• Negative Sentiment: News outlets summarized the recent Cetus sell-off as several million dollars of sales (reporting ~ $5.94M), reinforcing headlines around insider selling that can pressure the stock. Investing.com summary of Cetus sales

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Forward Air

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Forward Air by 26.9% during the 2nd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,499 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 530 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its position in Forward Air by 207.0% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,600 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 1,753 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Forward Air in the fourth quarter worth approximately $74,000. AlphaQuest LLC grew its position in Forward Air by 541.5% in the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 3,015 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $77,000 after purchasing an additional 2,545 shares during the period. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Forward Air during the 2nd quarter valued at $107,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.03% of the company’s stock.

Forward Air Company Profile

Forward Air Corporation is a leading North American provider of expedited ground transportation and related logistics services, specializing in time-sensitive shipments. The company offers a comprehensive suite of solutions including less-than-truckload (LTL) expedited freight, consolidation and distribution services, container drayage, and final-mile delivery. By integrating transportation management with warehousing, inventory control, and technology-driven tracking, Forward Air supports customers across a variety of industries such as manufacturing, retail, automotive and chemicals.

Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Greeneville, Tennessee, Forward Air has developed a broad network of service centers, terminals and rail ramps throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.