Empowered Funds LLC Has $23.21 Million Stake in Blue Bird Corporation $BLBD

Empowered Funds LLC raised its position in shares of Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ:BLBD) by 3.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 408,714 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,290 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in Blue Bird were worth $23,211,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of BLBD. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Blue Bird by 7.1% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,041,085 shares of the company’s stock worth $95,931,000 after acquiring an additional 135,562 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in Blue Bird by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,048,028 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,257,000 after purchasing an additional 8,430 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in Blue Bird by 14.5% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 865,136 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,661,000 after purchasing an additional 109,668 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its holdings in Blue Bird by 12.2% in the fourth quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 777,625 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,534,000 after purchasing an additional 84,488 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Blue Bird by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 769,204 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,159,000 after purchasing an additional 3,120 shares in the last quarter. 93.59% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Blue Bird Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:BLBD opened at $73.89 on Wednesday. Blue Bird Corporation has a twelve month low of $42.95 and a twelve month high of $83.39. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $74.23 and its 200-day moving average is $63.69. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.15, a PEG ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.35.

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $352.63 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $335.23 million. Blue Bird had a net margin of 8.91% and a return on equity of 53.68%. Blue Bird’s revenue was down 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.96 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Blue Bird Corporation will post 4.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on BLBD shares. Zacks Research upgraded Blue Bird from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Freedom Capital downgraded shares of Blue Bird from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. BTIG Research increased their target price on shares of Blue Bird from $65.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Roth Capital initiated coverage on shares of Blue Bird in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $94.00 price target for the company. Finally, Needham & Company LLC increased their price objective on shares of Blue Bird from $78.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $82.17.

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.