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Heartland ExpressFRA:HLX +0.77%60 Gross Margin % is 9.61% as of Mar. 2026, which is 53% below its 10-year median of 20.55. GuruFocus rates FRA:HLX with a GF Score™ of 60/100 and a GF Value™ of €7.20. The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 981 Transportation companies, Heartland Express ranks worse than 80.94% on this metric.
Warren Buffett believes that firms with excellent long term economics tend to have consistently higher margins.
Durable competitive advantage creates a high Gross Margin % because of the freedom to price in excess of cost. Companies can be categorized by their Gross Margin %
1. Greater than 40% = Durable competitive advantage
2. Less than 40% = Competition eroding margins
3. Less than 20% = no sustainable competitive advantage
Consistency of Gross Margin is key
Heartland Express had a gross margin of 9.61% for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 => No sustainable competitive advantage
Be Aware
If a company loses its competitive advantages, usually its gross margin declines well before its sales declines. Watching Gross Margin % and Operating Margin % closely helps avoid value trap situations.
Heartland Express Gross Margin % Related Terms
Heartland Express Gross Margin % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Heartland Express's Gross Margin % 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.
FRA:HLX vs CVLG, MRTN, ULH: Gross Margin % Comparison
For the Trucking subindustry, Heartland Express's Gross Margin %, along with its competitors' market caps and Gross Margin % 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 Gross Margin % vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Heartland Express's Gross Margin % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Heartland Express's Gross Margin % 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.
A positive Gross Profit is only the first step for a company to make a net profit. The gross profit needs to be big enough to also cover related labor, equipment, rental, marketing/advertising, research and development and a lot of other costs in selling the products.
Heartland Express (FRA:HLX) has a Gross Margin % of 9.61% as of Mar. 2026. Gross margin is the ratio of total gross profit to net sales. View historical data on Heartland Express and its competitors. This is 53% below median its historical median of 20.55. Over the past decade, Heartland Express' Gross Margin % has ranged from 8.38 to 22.85. According to the industry distribution chart, Heartland Express ranks #794 out of 981 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 80.9%.
Is Heartland Express' Gross Margin % too high?
Heartland Express' current Gross Margin % of 9.61% is 53% below median its 10-year median of 20.55. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 8.38 to a high of 22.85. The Transportation industry median Gross Margin % is 20.42. Heartland Express' value of 9.61% is 52.9% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Heartland Express ranks #794 out of 981 companies in the Transportation industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Heartland Express has a GF Score™ of 60/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Heartland Express' Gross Margin % compare to CVLG and MRTN?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, Heartland Express ranks #794 out of 981 companies for Gross Margin %. This places Heartland Express in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Gross Margin % is 20.42. Heartland Express' value of 9.61% is 52.9% below this benchmark. Historically, Heartland Express' own Gross Margin % has ranged from 8.38 to 22.85 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 20.55 vs. the industry median of 20.42, 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 Gross Margin % for a Transportation company?
The median Gross Margin % among Transportation companies is 20.42, based on 981 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Gross Margin % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Gross Margin % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Heartland Express's current Gross Margin % of 9.61% is 52.9% 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 Gross Margin % mean?
A high Gross Margin % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Gross margin is the ratio of total gross profit to net sales. View historical data on Heartland Express and its competitors. For the Transportation industry, the median Gross Margin % is 20.42 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Heartland Express's current Gross Margin % is 9.61%, which is 53% below median its own 10-year median of 20.55. 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?
Heartland Express (FRA:HLX) has a current Gross Margin % of 9.61%. The stock's GF Value™ is €7.20, compared to a current price of €13.10 — trading 81.9% above its estimated fair value. The current Gross Margin % is 9.61%, which is 53% below median its 10-year median of 20.55 and 52.9% below the Transportation industry median of 20.42. 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 Gross Margin % calculated?
Gross Margin % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Heartland Express (FRA:HLX), the current Gross Margin % is 9.61% 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 (FRA:HLX) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Heartland Express stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of €13.10 is trading 81.9% above its estimated GF Value™ of €7.20.
Key valuation signals for FRA:HLX:
Gross Margin %: 9.61% (53% below median its 10-year median of 20.55)
GF Value™: €7.20 vs. price of €13.10 (81.9% above fair value)
Industry Position: 52.9% below the Transportation median (#794 of 981)
No single metric tells the full story. See the FRA:HLX 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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