Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) Hits New 52-Week Low – Should You Sell?

Shares of Werner Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:WERN) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $30.48 and last traded at $30.52, with a volume of 958090 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $32.14.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on shares of Werner Enterprises in a research report on Friday. They issued a “hold” rating and a $33.00 price objective for the company. Susquehanna raised Werner Enterprises from a “negative” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $38.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, January 3rd. StockNews.com raised Werner Enterprises from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 20th. Barclays reduced their target price on Werner Enterprises from $40.00 to $38.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Werner Enterprises from $36.00 to $34.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $37.00.

Werner Enterprises Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $1.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.49 and a beta of 0.85. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $34.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $36.91. The company has a current ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43.

Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The transportation company reported $0.08 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.23 by ($0.15). Werner Enterprises had a net margin of 1.13% and a return on equity of 2.27%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Werner Enterprises, Inc. will post 1.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Werner Enterprises Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 14th will be given a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 14th. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.83%. Werner Enterprises’s payout ratio is 101.82%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Werner Enterprises

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in Werner Enterprises by 14.9% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 126,453 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $4,542,000 after purchasing an additional 16,366 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its holdings in Werner Enterprises by 70.5% in the fourth quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 55,917 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,009,000 after acquiring an additional 23,120 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP lifted its holdings in Werner Enterprises by 75.3% in the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 224,700 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $8,071,000 after acquiring an additional 96,500 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP grew its position in Werner Enterprises by 38.3% in the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 379,714 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $13,639,000 after acquiring an additional 105,092 shares during the period. Finally, Shay Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Werner Enterprises during the fourth quarter worth $323,000. 89.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Werner Enterprises

Werner Enterprises, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in transporting truckload shipments of general commodities in interstate and intrastate commerce in the United States, Mexico, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Truckload Transportation Services and Werner Logistics.