Blue Bird’s (BLBD) Buy Rating Reiterated at Needham & Company LLC

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reiterated by equities research analysts at Needham & Company LLC in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $86.00 target price on the stock. Needham & Company LLC’s price target points to a potential upside of 11.79% from the stock’s current price.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Blue Bird from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, July 25th. Freedom Capital lowered shares of Blue Bird from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. DA Davidson set a $86.00 price target on Blue Bird in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. BTIG Research lifted their price objective on Blue Bird from $65.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on shares of Blue Bird from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Blue Bird currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $84.67.

Blue Bird Trading Down 1.2%

NASDAQ:BLBD opened at $76.93 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.90, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 1.27. Blue Bird has a one year low of $42.95 and a one year high of $83.39. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $75.19 and its 200 day simple moving average is $64.81.

Blue Bird (NASDAQ:BLBD) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.03. Blue Bird had a net margin of 8.91% and a return on equity of 53.68%. The business had revenue of $517.16 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $485.73 million. As a group, analysts forecast that Blue Bird will post 4.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Blue Bird

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BLBD. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its position in shares of Blue Bird by 210.0% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 775 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 525 shares during the period. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Blue Bird by 222.7% during the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 823 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 568 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its holdings in Blue Bird by 10,028.6% in the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 709 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 702 shares in the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in Blue Bird during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Blue Bird by 85.5% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 629 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 290 shares in the last quarter. 93.59% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Blue Bird News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Blue Bird reported fiscal Q3 revenue of $517.2 million, up $119.1 million year over year and ahead of the roughly $485.7 million analyst consensus. Adjusted earnings were $1.28 per share, exceeding estimates of $1.22-$1.25 and increasing from $1.19 a year earlier. Blue Bird Reports Fiscal 2026 Third Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Operating momentum was strong: quarterly unit sales rose to 3,525, up 1,058 from the prior year, while nine-month sales reached 7,808 units. Revenue for the first nine months was $1.20 billion, an increase of $132.1 million year over year. Blue Bird Q3 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised or reaffirmed fiscal 2026 revenue expectations at approximately $1.8 billion, above the $1.7 billion consensus forecast. The guidance implies continued demand for Blue Bird’s school buses and supports investor confidence in the company’s growth outlook. Blue Bird Fiscal 2026 Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Blue Bird entered a definitive agreement with Ford to design, manufacture and sell the next generation of F-53 and F-59 commercial stripped chassis. The partnership could diversify Blue Bird’s commercial-vehicle operations and create an additional long-term revenue opportunity. Blue Bird Enters Agreement with Ford

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.