JPMorgan Chase & Co. Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) Stock

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) had its price objective upped by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $402.00 to $465.00 in a report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the transportation company’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective points to a potential upside of 4.30% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Saia from $413.00 to $429.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Saia from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Sunday, April 26th. Benchmark lifted their target price on shares of Saia from $425.00 to $500.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Susquehanna lowered shares of Saia from a “positive” rating to a “neutral” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $390.00 to $425.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $493.00 target price on shares of Saia in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $433.39.

Saia Stock Performance

SAIA traded down $2.98 during trading on Friday, reaching $445.84. 150,188 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 544,924. Saia has a 1 year low of $244.94 and a 1 year high of $457.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 2.04. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $382.27 and its 200-day simple moving average is $346.22.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The transportation company reported $1.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.82 by $0.04. Saia had a net margin of 7.89% and a return on equity of 9.86%. The company had revenue of $806.23 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $789.08 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.86 EPS. Saia’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Saia will post 10.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Matthew J. Batteh sold 1,110 shares of Saia stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $375.71, for a total value of $417,038.10. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 5,360 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,013,805.60. This trade represents a 17.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Frederick J. Holzgrefe III sold 4,775 shares of Saia stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $388.80, for a total transaction of $1,856,520.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 22,743 shares in the company, valued at $8,842,478.40. This represents a 17.35% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 15,533 shares of company stock worth $6,015,055. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Saia

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its stake in Saia by 35.4% in the 3rd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,273,396 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $680,564,000 after acquiring an additional 594,674 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in Saia by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,798,841 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $587,358,000 after acquiring an additional 43,690 shares during the period. Capital International Investors grew its stake in Saia by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 1,419,062 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $424,794,000 after acquiring an additional 11,454 shares during the period. Viking Global Investors LP grew its stake in Saia by 67.2% in the 3rd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 1,383,888 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $414,281,000 after acquiring an additional 556,229 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in Saia by 31.7% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 923,912 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $301,676,000 after purchasing an additional 222,494 shares during the last quarter.

Saia News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Saia this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Benchmark raised its price target to $500 and reiterated a Buy rating, signaling roughly double-digit upside from current levels and suggesting stronger conviction on Saia’s growth/pricing outlook. Benchmark raise
• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results: Saia reported $1.86 EPS (beat by ~$0.04) and $806.2M revenue (beat estimates), with revenue up 2.4% YoY — a modest beat that supports current earnings stability. Q1 release
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings call takeaway: management highlighted record sales and hopes for margin rebound, indicating improving pricing power and volume trends that could support multi‑year margin upside. Earnings call summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings transcript and analyst note coverage are out for deeper read — useful for gauging guidance/ask-and-answer detail but contain no new headline surprises. Earnings transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary shows mixed stances: TD Cowen maintained a Hold while lifting its PT (neutral tone); broader analyst writeups (Zacks, MarketBeat) note modest beats and key metrics — supportive but not transformative. Zacks coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $445 but kept an Equal Weight rating; the PT sits essentially in line with the stock, implying limited near-term upside and contributing to selling pressure. Wells Fargo note

Saia Company Profile

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.