Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) Given New $500.00 Price Target at Benchmark

02 May 2026, 12:36 by Amy Steele · The Cerbat Gem

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA – Free Report) had its target price raised by Benchmark from $425.00 to $500.00 in a research report report published on Friday morning, Marketbeat reports. Benchmark currently has a buy rating on the transportation company’s stock.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. BMO Capital Markets set a $425.00 price target on shares of Saia in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Saia in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Stephens raised their target price on shares of Saia from $414.00 to $445.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $493.00 target price on shares of Saia in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Saia from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Sunday, April 26th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $440.83.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Saia

Saia Price Performance

Shares of Saia stock traded down $7.56 during trading on Friday, reaching $441.26. 427,584 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 487,603. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 1.52. Saia has a 1-year low of $244.94 and a 1-year high of $457.99. The company has a market cap of $11.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.35, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 2.04. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $382.27 and its 200 day moving average price is $346.22.

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The transportation company reported $1.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.82 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $806.23 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $789.08 million. Saia had a return on equity of 9.60% and a net margin of 7.84%.Saia’s revenue was up 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.86 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Saia will post 10.6 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Saia

In other Saia news, CFO Matthew J. Batteh sold 916 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $389.03, for a total value of $356,351.48. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 4,444 shares in the company, valued at $1,728,849.32. This trade represents a 17.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Frederick J. Holzgrefe III sold 4,775 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 owned 22,743 shares in the company, valued at $8,842,478.40. This represents a 17.35% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 15,533 shares of company stock valued at $6,015,055. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Saia

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its stake in shares of Saia by 35.4% during the third 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 last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its stake in shares of Saia by 2.5% during the fourth 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 last quarter. Capital International Investors raised its stake in shares of Saia by 0.8% during the third 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 last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP raised its stake in shares of Saia by 67.2% during the third 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 last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Saia by 31.7% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 923,912 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $301,676,000 after acquiring an additional 222,494 shares during the last quarter.

Saia News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Saia this week:

Positive Sentiment: Management expects a meaningful improvement in profitability: Saia guided to a 400–450 basis-point sequential improvement in the operating ratio in Q2 as volumes accelerate, signaling stronger margin recovery ahead. Saia anticipates 400-450 bps sequential operating ratio improvement in Q2 2026 as volumes accelerate
Positive Sentiment: Q1 results slightly beat expectations: Saia reported EPS of $1.86 vs. $1.82 consensus and revenue of $806.2M vs. $789.1M, with management noting upticks in shipments — fundamentals that support upside if the margin recovery materializes. Saia Reports First Quarter Results (press release) Saia reports upticks in Q1 shipments
Positive Sentiment: Analysts lifted targets and ratings today, providing near-term support: Benchmark raised its target to $500 (buy), JPMorgan boosted its target to $465 (overweight), and Wells Fargo raised its target to $445 (equal weight) — signaling improved sell‑side sentiment. Benchmark target raise coverage Benzinga: analyst price target changes
Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call showed operational progress but a cautious tone: management highlighted network expansion and operational discipline as growth drivers while stopping short of aggressive near-term margin guidance beyond Q2 hopes. Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Neutral Sentiment: Multiple media summaries and deep-dives confirm the mixed picture — sales strength and network investments offset by cost pressures; these write-ups help explain both the bullish analyst moves and investor caution. Deep dive: network expansion and cost pressures
Negative Sentiment: EPS was flat year-over-year ($1.86 in both Q1 2026 and Q1 2025), which may disappoint growth-focused investors and help explain profit-taking after recent gains. Earnings recap showing EPS flat YoY
Negative Sentiment: Technical/flow factors likely contributed: trading volume was below average and the shares are trading near 12‑month highs, which can amplify pullbacks as investors lock in gains.

About Saia

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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.