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Heartland ExpressHTLD +5.37%60 Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.19 as of Mar. 2026, which is 11% below its 10-year median of 1.33. GuruFocus rates HTLD with a GF Score™ of 60/100 and a GF Value™ of $7.98 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 869 Transportation companies, Heartland Express ranks better than 70.08% on this metric.
Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for Heartland Express's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
HTLD'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 1.28 Med: 1.33 Max: 1.57
Current: 1.42
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of Heartland Express was 1.57. The lowest was 1.28. And the median was 1.33.
HTLD's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked better than 70.08% of 869
companies
in the Transportation industry
Industry Median: 2.64
vs HTLD: 1.42
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
Heartland Express Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
Heartland Express Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Heartland Express's Debt-to-EBITDA can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
HTLD vs CVLG, MRTN, ULH: Debt-to-EBITDA Comparison
For the Trucking subindustry, Heartland Express's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Heartland Express Debt-to-EBITDA vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Heartland Express's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Heartland Express's Debt-to-EBITDA falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBITDA data.
Heartland Express (HTLD) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 1.19 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Heartland Express. This is 11% below median its historical median of 1.33. Over the past decade, Heartland Express' Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 1.28 to 1.57. According to the industry distribution chart, Heartland Express ranks #260 out of 869 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 29.9%.
Is Heartland Express' Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
Heartland Express' current Debt-to-EBITDA of 1.19 is 11% below median its 10-year median of 1.33. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.28 to a high of 1.57. The Transportation industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.64. Heartland Express' value of 1.19 is 54.9% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Heartland Express ranks #260 out of 869 companies in the Transportation industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Heartland Express has a GF Score™ of 60/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Heartland Express' Debt-to-EBITDA compare to CVLG and MRTN?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, Heartland Express ranks #260 out of 869 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This puts Heartland Express in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.64. Heartland Express' value of 1.19 is 54.9% below this benchmark. Historically, Heartland Express' own Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 1.28 to 1.57 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 1.33 vs. the industry median of 2.64, Heartland Express has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-EBITDA for a Transportation company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Transportation companies is 2.64, based on 869 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Heartland Express's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 1.19 is 54.9% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Heartland Express. For the Transportation industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.64 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Heartland Express's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.19, which is 11% below median its own 10-year median of 1.33. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Heartland Express stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Heartland Express (HTLD) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $7.98, compared to a current price of $15.30 — trading 91.7% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.19, which is 11% below median its 10-year median of 1.33 and 54.9% below the Transportation industry median of 2.64. Heartland Express' overall GF Score™ is 60/100 with 5 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Heartland Express (HTLD), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.19 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Heartland Express (HTLD) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Heartland Express stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $15.30 is trading 91.7% above its estimated GF Value™ of $7.98.
GuruFocus considers Heartland Express to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for HTLD:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 1.19 (11% below median its 10-year median of 1.33)
GF Value™: $7.98 vs. price of $15.30 (91.7% above fair value)
Industry Position: 54.9% below the Transportation median (#260 of 869)
No single metric tells the full story. See the HTLD stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Heartland Express Inc, along with its subsidiaries, operates as a short, medium, and long-haul truckload carrier and transportation services provider. It mainly provides nationwide asset-based dry van truckload service for shippers across the United States, along with cross-border freight and other transportation services offered through third-party partnerships in Mexico. The group operates under the brand names of Heartland Express, Millis Transfer, Smith Transport, and CFI (for services within Mexico).
60GF Score
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