HTLD
Heartland Express, Inc. Industrials - Trucking Investor Relations →
Heartland Express, Inc. (HTLD) closed at $13.47 as of 2026-05-01, trading 10.7% above its 200-week moving average of $12.17. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 7.0% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 67, indicating neutral momentum.
Trading volume is running at 1.3x of its 14-week average, which is in the normal range. The balance between buying and selling volume (0.98 ratio) is neutral — neither side is clearly dominating.
Over the past 2012 weeks of data, HTLD has crossed below its 200-week moving average 38 times. On average, these episodes lasted 18 weeks. Historically, investors who bought HTLD at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +10.6%.
With a market cap of $1044 million, HTLD is a small-cap stock. Return on equity stands at -5.6%. The stock trades at 1.4x book value.
Over the past 33.3 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in HTLD would have grown to $678, compared to $2973 for the S&P 500. HTLD has returned 5.9% annualized vs 10.7% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
In the past 12 months, corporate insiders have made 7 open-market purchases totaling $7,340,552. Multiple insiders purchased within a 30-day window — a cluster buy pattern that historically signals management confidence in the company's prospects.
Free cash flow has been declining at a -100% compound annual rate. A deteriorating cash flow trend warrants extra scrutiny — the stock may be cheap for a reason.
Business Health
Annual financials — how the underlying business has performed over the past several years.
Cash Flow Free cash flow & net income ($M)
Revenue Annual revenue ($M) — business growth proxy
Total Debt Balance sheet debt ($M)
ROIC Return on invested capital (%)
FCF Yield Free cash flow / market cap (%) — Yartseva signal
Gross Margin Pricing power & competitive moat (%)
Shares Outstanding Buybacks vs dilution (millions)
Growth of $100: HTLD vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After HTLD Crosses Below the Line?
Across 35 historical episodes, buying HTLD when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +7.7% after 12 months (median +2.0%), compared to +10.5% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 54% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +10.8% vs +30.1% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment HTLD crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
HTLD has crossed below its 200-week MA 38 times with an average 1-year return of +10.6% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1987 | Apr 1988 | 28 | 44.2% | N/A | +4440.7% |
| Jun 1988 | Jul 1988 | 6 | 4.0% | +56.6% | +4679.7% |
| Aug 1988 | Oct 1988 | 9 | 10.1% | +80.0% | +5089.3% |
| Jun 1995 | Jun 1995 | 1 | 1.4% | +78.5% | +633.8% |
| Aug 1998 | Nov 2000 | 119 | 35.8% | -12.2% | +353.6% |
| Oct 2007 | Oct 2007 | 1 | 1.0% | +4.1% | +30.5% |
| Nov 2007 | Nov 2007 | 2 | 3.1% | +6.0% | +30.5% |
| Dec 2007 | Jan 2008 | 2 | 2.0% | +18.5% | +29.8% |
| Mar 2008 | Mar 2008 | 2 | 1.8% | -11.6% | +26.5% |
| Sep 2008 | Nov 2008 | 7 | 6.4% | -0.3% | +22.3% |
| Dec 2008 | Dec 2008 | 1 | 5.6% | +11.1% | +27.8% |
| Jan 2009 | Mar 2009 | 12 | 16.0% | +11.9% | +22.3% |
| May 2009 | May 2009 | 1 | 2.8% | +12.1% | +22.8% |
| Jun 2009 | Jul 2009 | 2 | 0.3% | -1.4% | +19.2% |
| Aug 2009 | Oct 2009 | 6 | 4.0% | +5.1% | +21.6% |
| Oct 2009 | Nov 2009 | 6 | 7.6% | +13.3% | +22.5% |
| Jan 2010 | Feb 2010 | 4 | 6.2% | +23.1% | +24.8% |
| Jun 2010 | Jul 2010 | 1 | 3.2% | +26.2% | +20.9% |
| Aug 2010 | Aug 2010 | 1 | 0.1% | +2.3% | +16.8% |
| Sep 2010 | Sep 2010 | 1 | 0.9% | -1.7% | +17.5% |
| Aug 2011 | Jan 2012 | 23 | 11.0% | -4.1% | +14.1% |
| Feb 2012 | Mar 2012 | 1 | 0.8% | +2.7% | +12.0% |
| Mar 2012 | Jan 2013 | 42 | 10.9% | +0.1% | +11.0% |
| Mar 2013 | Apr 2013 | 5 | 2.4% | +63.2% | +10.9% |
| Nov 2015 | Feb 2016 | 9 | 11.1% | +22.3% | -18.0% |
| Apr 2016 | Aug 2016 | 17 | 8.3% | +14.3% | -15.3% |
| Sep 2016 | Nov 2016 | 9 | 5.7% | +21.2% | -22.9% |
| Mar 2017 | Apr 2017 | 4 | 5.0% | -5.5% | -26.9% |
| May 2017 | Jun 2017 | 5 | 5.3% | -9.5% | -26.1% |
| Nov 2017 | Nov 2017 | 1 | 1.5% | -2.4% | -29.3% |
| Feb 2018 | Sep 2018 | 30 | 14.7% | -1.8% | -29.6% |
| Sep 2018 | Jan 2019 | 17 | 13.1% | +7.9% | -27.5% |
| Mar 2019 | Apr 2019 | 4 | 3.7% | -11.6% | -23.9% |
| May 2019 | Jul 2019 | 10 | 10.3% | +3.1% | -25.7% |
| Aug 2019 | Aug 2019 | 1 | 0.9% | +8.1% | -25.5% |
| Jan 2020 | May 2020 | 17 | 16.0% | +0.2% | -26.3% |
| Jun 2020 | Jun 2020 | 1 | 0.6% | -10.1% | -27.7% |
| Sep 2020 | Apr 2026 | 293 | 43.4% | -16.4% | -28.5% |
| Average | 18 | — | +10.6% | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is HTLD below its 200-week moving average?
No. Heartland Express, Inc. (HTLD) is currently 10.7% above its 200-week moving average of $12.17. It would need to fall to $12.17 to cross below the line.
What is HTLD's 200-week moving average price?
Heartland Express, Inc.'s 200-week moving average is $12.17 as of 2026-05-01. This is the average weekly closing price over roughly the last 4 years, and it acts as a long-term trend line. When a stock drops below this level, it can signal that the price has fallen far enough from the long-term trend to attract value-oriented investors.
What happens when HTLD drops below its 200-week moving average?
HTLD has crossed below its 200-week moving average 38 times in our data. On average, buying at that moment produced a one-year return of +10.6%. These dips have historically been decent entry points. These episodes lasted 18 weeks on average.
Is HTLD a good value right now?
Here's what our data says about HTLD as of 2026-05-01: The stock is above its 200-week moving average, so it doesn't currently meet our primary signal. The 14-week RSI is 67. Return on equity is -5.6%. Price-to-book is 1.4x. This is not a buy or sell recommendation — always do your own research.
How does HTLD compare to the S&P 500?
Over the past 33.3 years, $100 invested in HTLD would have grown to $678, compared to $2973 for the S&P 500. That's 5.9% annualized vs 10.7% for the index. HTLD has underperformed the broader market over this period.
Does HTLD pay a dividend?
Yes. Heartland Express, Inc. currently pays a dividend yield of 59.00%.
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of week of 2026-05-01