BTIG Research Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) Stock

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) had its price target upped by equities research analysts at BTIG Research from $80.00 to $95.00 in a report released on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. BTIG Research’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 38.16% from the company’s previous close.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $86.00 price objective on shares of Blue Bird in a research note on Thursday. DA Davidson set a $86.00 target price on Blue Bird in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Blue Bird from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, July 25th. Freedom Capital lowered Blue Bird from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Roth Capital assumed coverage on Blue Bird in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $94.00 price target for the company. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $85.50.

Blue Bird Stock Up 4.2%

NASDAQ:BLBD opened at $68.76 on Thursday. Blue Bird has a one year low of $46.14 and a one year high of $83.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.27. The company has a market cap of $2.18 billion, a PE ratio of 8.36, a P/E/G ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.36. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $75.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is $64.95.

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $517.16 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $485.73 million. Blue Bird had a net margin of 17.48% and a return on equity of 39.97%. On average, research analysts anticipate that Blue Bird will post 4.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Blue Bird

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Blue Bird during the 2nd quarter worth $207,493,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Blue Bird by 197.3% during the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 712,707 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,497,000 after purchasing an additional 472,990 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its position in shares of Blue Bird by 383.1% during the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 425,214 shares of the company’s stock valued at $24,471,000 after purchasing an additional 337,196 shares in the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its holdings in Blue Bird by 41.8% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 1,102,335 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,669,000 after purchasing an additional 324,710 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Blue Bird by 362.2% during the first quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 304,196 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,275,000 after purchasing an additional 238,379 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.59% of the company’s stock.

Blue Bird News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Blue Bird this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations. Blue Bird reported fiscal Q3 earnings of $1.28 per share, ahead of analyst estimates ranging from $1.22 to $1.25 and up from $1.19 a year earlier. Revenue reached $517.16 million, well above the $485.73 million consensus estimate. Blue Bird Q3 earnings and revenues top estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue outlook was raised or reaffirmed above consensus. Blue Bird provided fiscal 2026 revenue guidance of approximately $1.8 billion, compared with analyst expectations near $1.7 billion. The company’s high profitability, including a reported 17.48% net margin and 53.78% return on equity, further supports the bullish reaction. Blue Bird quarterly earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised their valuation targets. BTIG lifted its price target from $80 to $95, DA Davidson raised its target from $86 to $91 and Needham reaffirmed a Buy rating with an $86 target. These targets imply substantial upside from recent trading levels and indicate continued confidence in Blue Bird’s earnings outlook. Analyst price target updates
• Positive Sentiment: Ford collaboration may strengthen manufacturing capabilities. Blue Bird plans to assemble bus chassis in collaboration with Ford, a move that could support production flexibility and supply-chain efficiency. The financial impact and implementation details remain to be established. Blue Bird to assemble chassis with Ford
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-term trading has been volatile. Coverage also focused on why BLBD shares were falling during part of the session, indicating that some investors may have been digesting the earnings release or taking profits after earlier moves. The broader earnings and analyst news flow remains favorable. Why Blue Bird shares were falling

Blue Bird Company Profile

Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ: BLBD) is a leading manufacturer of buses and mass transportation vehicles headquartered in Fort Valley, Georgia. The company’s core business encompasses the design, engineering, and production of school buses and activity buses, with a product lineup that includes conventional (Type C) models, transit-style (Type D) models and specialty configurations for special-needs and activity transport. In recent years, Blue Bird has expanded its offerings to include zero-emission electric school buses, reflecting its commitment to advanced propulsion technologies and environmental sustainability.

Established in 1927, Blue Bird has built a legacy of safety and reliability in student transportation.