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Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.
Heartland ExpressHTLD +5.37%60 Return-on-Tangible-Equity is -5.35% as of Mar. 2026. 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 978 Transportation companies, Heartland Express ranks worse than 91.21% on this metric.
Return-on-Tangible-Equity is calculated as Net Income divided by its average total shareholder tangible equity. Total shareholder tangible equity equals to Total Stockholders Equity minus Intangible Assets. Heartland Express's annualized net income for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $-19.3 Mil. Heartland Express's average shareholder tangible equity for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $360.7 Mil. Therefore, Heartland Express's annualized Return-on-Tangible-Equity for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was -5.35%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Heartland Express's Return-on-Tangible-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
HTLD'
s Return-on-Tangible-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -13.63 Med: 14.95 Max: 26.74
Current: -11.73
During the past 13 years, Heartland Express's highest Return-on-Tangible-Equity was 26.74%. The lowest was -13.63%. And the median was 14.95%.
HTLD's Return-on-Tangible-Equity is ranked worse than 91.21% of 978
companies
in the Transportation industry
Industry Median: 8.995
vs HTLD: -11.73
Return-on-Tangible-Equity measures the rate of return on the ownership interest (shareholder's tangible equity) of the common stock owners. It measures a firm's efficiency at generating profits from every unit of shareholders' tangible equity (shareholders equity minus intangibles). Return-on-Tangible-Equity shows how well a company uses investment funds to generate earnings growth. Return-on-Tangible-Equitys between 15% and 20% are considered desirable.
Be Aware
Net Income is used.
Because a company can increase its Return-on-Tangible-Equity by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high Return-on-Tangible-Equity companies. Like Return-on-Tangible-Asset, Return-on-Tangible-Equity is calculated with only 12 months data. Fluctuations in company's earnings or business cycles can affect the ratio drastically. It is important to look at the ratio from a long term perspective.
Asset light businesses require very few assets to generate very high earnings. Their Return-on-Tangible-Equitys can be extremely high.
Heartland Express Return-on-Tangible-Equity Related Terms
Heartland Express Return-on-Tangible-Equity Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Heartland Express's Return-on-Tangible-Equity 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: Return-on-Tangible-Equity Comparison
For the Trucking subindustry, Heartland Express's Return-on-Tangible-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Return-on-Tangible-Equity 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 Return-on-Tangible-Equity vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Heartland Express's Return-on-Tangible-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Heartland Express's Return-on-Tangible-Equity 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 Return-on-Tangible-Equity, the net income of the last fiscal year and the average total shareholder tangible equity over the fiscal year are used. In calculating the quarterly data,
the net income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) net income data.
Return-on-Tangible-Equity is displayed in the 10-year financial page.
What does a Return-on-Tangible-Equity of -5.35% mean?
Heartland Express (HTLD) has a Return-on-Tangible-Equity of -5.35% as of Mar. 2026. Return on tangible equity is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period tangible equity. View historical data on Heartland Express and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Heartland Express ranks #892 out of 978 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 91.2%.
Is Heartland Express' Return-on-Tangible-Equity too high?
Heartland Express' current Return-on-Tangible-Equity is -5.35%. Based on the distribution chart, Heartland Express ranks #892 out of 978 companies in the Transportation industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. 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' Return-on-Tangible-Equity compare to CVLG and MRTN?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, Heartland Express ranks #892 out of 978 companies for Return-on-Tangible-Equity. This places Heartland Express in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Return-on-Tangible-Equity is 9.00. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Return-on-Tangible-Equity for a Transportation company?
The median Return-on-Tangible-Equity among Transportation companies is 9.00, based on 978 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Return-on-Tangible-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Return-on-Tangible-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Return-on-Tangible-Equity mean?
A high Return-on-Tangible-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Return on tangible equity is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period tangible equity. View historical data on Heartland Express and its competitors. For the Transportation industry, the median Return-on-Tangible-Equity is 9.00 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Heartland Express's current Return-on-Tangible-Equity is -5.35%. 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 Return-on-Tangible-Equity is -5.35%. 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 Return-on-Tangible-Equity calculated?
Return-on-Tangible-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Heartland Express (HTLD), the current Return-on-Tangible-Equity is -5.35% 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:
Return-on-Tangible-Equity: -5.35%
GF Value™: $7.98 vs. price of $15.30 (91.7% above fair value)
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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