Pier Capital LLC Buys 11,819 Shares of Saia, Inc. $SAIA

Pier Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Saia, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAIA) by 79.8% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 26,638 shares of the transportation company’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,819 shares during the quarter. Saia comprises 1.2% of Pier Capital LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd largest position. Pier Capital LLC’s holdings in Saia were worth $7,974,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in shares of Saia in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its position in shares of Saia by 177.5% during the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 111 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Saia by 6,400.0% during the 3rd quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 195 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. HM Payson & Co. lifted its holdings in Saia by 28.9% during the 3rd quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 205 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in Saia by 28.4% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 298 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $89,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter.

Saia Stock Down 7.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:SAIA opened at $315.75 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The firm has a market cap of $8.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 2.04. Saia, Inc. has a 12 month low of $229.12 and a 12 month high of $430.11. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $373.40 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $327.64.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The transportation company reported $1.77 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.90 by ($0.13). Saia had a return on equity of 9.86% and a net margin of 7.89%.The company had revenue of $789.95 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $773.82 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.84 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Saia, Inc. will post 15.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Raymond R. Ramu sold 5,226 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $387.95, for a total value of $2,027,426.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 3,631 shares in the company, valued at $1,408,646.45. The trade was a 59.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Matthew J. Batteh sold 916 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $389.03, for a total value of $356,351.48. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 4,444 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,728,849.32. This represents a 17.09% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 15,533 shares of company stock valued at $6,015,055 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have weighed in on SAIA shares. Stifel Nicolaus set a $352.00 price objective on shares of Saia in a research note on Tuesday. Wolfe Research reiterated a “peer perform” rating on shares of Saia in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Stephens boosted their target price on Saia from $414.00 to $445.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Saia from $310.00 to $395.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets set a $425.00 price target on Saia in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Saia currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $379.47.

About Saia

Saia, Inc is a publicly traded transportation company specializing in less-than-truckload (LTL) freight services across North America. Headquartered in Johns Creek, Georgia, the company focuses on the efficient movement of time-sensitive freight for a diverse customer base that spans retail, manufacturing, automotive, and healthcare industries. By leveraging a network of terminals and service centers, Saia provides tailored solutions designed to optimize supply chain performance.

The company’s core offerings include regional, interregional, and national LTL shipping, supported by volumetric LTL and port intermodal services.