Covenant Logistics [CVLG] vs Heartland Express [HTLD] Detailed Stock Comparison

TLDR: Quick Comparison Summary

Based on 20 vital metrics comparison: Covenant Logistics Group Inc. wins in 15 metrics, Heartland Express Inc. wins in 5 metrics, with 0 ties. Covenant Logistics Group Inc. appears stronger overall.

View Metrics Details

Vital Metrics Comparison

Metric Covenant Logistics Group Inc. Heartland Express Inc. Better
P/E Ratio (TTM) 193.75 52.42 Heartland Express Inc.
Price-to-Book Ratio 1.92 1.21 Heartland Express Inc.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio 83.84 21.37 Heartland Express Inc.
PEG Ratio -0.51 0.05 Heartland Express Inc.
EV/EBITDA 9.58 10.88 Covenant Logistics Group Inc.
Profit Margin (TTM) 0.62% -6.51% Covenant Logistics Group Inc.
Operating Margin (TTM) -2.06% -8.94% Covenant Logistics Group Inc.
Return on Equity 1.05% -6.65% Covenant Logistics Group Inc.
Return on Assets (TTM) 1.43% -3.06% Covenant Logistics Group Inc.
Free Cash Flow (TTM) $-33.92M $-66.85M Covenant Logistics Group Inc.
Dividend Yield 1.06% 1.05% Covenant Logistics Group Inc.
1-Year Return 99.69% 85.17% Covenant Logistics Group Inc.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) 0.67 1.14 Covenant Logistics Group Inc.
Enterprise Value $1.11B $1.06B Covenant Logistics Group Inc.
EV/Revenue Ratio 0.95 1.31 Covenant Logistics Group Inc.
Gross Profit Margin (TTM) 12.49% 9.14% Covenant Logistics Group Inc.
Revenue per Share (TTM) $45 $10 Covenant Logistics Group Inc.
Earnings per Share (Diluted) $0.16 $-0.67 Covenant Logistics Group Inc.
Beta (Stock Volatility) 1.16 1.10 Heartland Express Inc.
Short % of Float 3.31% 4.46% Covenant Logistics Group Inc.

Covenant Logistics Group Inc. vs Heartland Express Inc. Stock Performance Analysis

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Performance Comparison

Short-term Returns

Stock1D1W1M3M6MYTD
Covenant Logistics Group Inc.-1.41%0.63%30.76%79.38%93.90%100.94%
Heartland Express Inc.-1.80%-2.22%18.95%66.00%67.05%72.90%

Long-term Returns

Stock1Y3Y5Y10Y15Y20Y
Covenant Logistics Group Inc.99.69%128.16%351.34%300.44%987.32%528.63%
Heartland Express Inc.85.17%-1.10%-4.16%-9.90%0.56%-5.40%

Performance & Financial Health Analysis: Covenant Logistics Group Inc. vs Heartland Express Inc.

MetricCVLGHTLD
Market Information
Market Cap i$782.63M$931.01M
Market Cap CategorySmall capSmall cap
10 Day Avg. Volume i153,297330,715
90 Day Avg. Volume i145,189357,715
Last Close$44.81$15.82
52 Week Range$18.00 - $47.08$7.00 - $16.64
% from 52W High-4.82%-4.93%
All-Time High$47.08 (Jun 12, 2026)$27.96 (Dec 29, 2014)
% from All-Time High-4.82%-43.42%
Growth Metrics
Quarterly Revenue Growth0.07%-0.26%
Quarterly Earnings Growth0.07%-0.26%
Financial Health
Profit Margin (TTM) i0.01%-0.07%
Operating Margin (TTM) i-0.02%-0.09%
Return on Equity (TTM) i0.01%-0.07%
Debt to Equity (MRQ) i83.8421.37
Cash & Liquidity
Book Value per Share (MRQ)$16.11$9.75
Cash per Share (MRQ)$0.20$0.24
Operating Cash Flow (TTM) i$113.65M$89.31M
Levered Free Cash Flow (TTM) i$-66,872,752$-21,434,124
Dividends
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i1.06%1.05%
Last 12-Month Dividend i$0.28$0.10

Valuation & Enterprise Metrics Analysis: Covenant Logistics Group Inc. vs Heartland Express Inc.

MetricCVLG (Apr 24, 2026)HTLD (Apr 24, 2026)
Price Ratios
P/E Ratio (TTM) i193.7552.42
Forward P/E i12.8829.49
PEG Ratio i-0.510.05
Price to Sales (TTM) i0.671.14
Price to Book (MRQ) i1.921.21
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization i$782.63M$931.01M
Enterprise Value i$1.11B$1.06B
Enterprise Value Metrics
Enterprise to Revenue i0.951.31
Enterprise to EBITDA i9.5810.88
Risk & Other Metrics
Beta i1.161.10
Book Value per Share (MRQ) i$16.11$9.75

Financial Statements Comparison: Covenant Logistics Group Inc. vs Heartland Express Inc.

Financial Metrics

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Revenue

Operating Margin

Profit Margin

Long Term Debt

Income Flow Analysis

Financial Statements Comparison

Income Statement

MetricCVLG (2025)HTLD (2025)
Revenue/Sales i1.16B805.71M
Cost of Goods Sold i994.54M738.17M
COGS % of Revenue i85.4%91.6%
Gross Profit i169.93M67.54M
Gross Margin i14.6%8.4%
Research & Development iN/AN/A
Operating Income (EBIT) i20.47M-61.87M
Operating Margin i1.8%-7.7%
EBITDA i127.90M98.11M
EBITDA Margin i11.0%12.2%
Pre-Tax Income i5.59M-68.13M
Pre-Tax Income % of Revenue i0.5%-8.5%
Income Tax i1.18M-15.68M
Income Tax % of Revenue i0.1%-1.9%
Net Income (Profit) i7.24M-52.45M
Profit Margin i0.6%-6.5%

Balance Sheet & Liquidity Metrics

MetricCVLG (2025)HTLD (2025)
Cash & Equivalents i4.95M18.48M
Total Current Assets i232.82M114.60M
Total Current Assets % of Revenue i20.0%14.2%
Total Current Liabilities i209.98M110.16M
Total Current Liabilities % of Revenue i18.0%13.7%
Long-Term Debt i261.67M154.38M
Long-Term Debt % of Revenue i22.5%19.2%
Total Shareholders Equity i404.00M755.32M
Retained Earnings i278.21M965.41M
Retained Earnings % of Revenue i23.9%119.8%
Property, Plant & Equipment i638.79M850.99M

Cash Flow Statement Comparison

MetricCVLG (2025)HTLD (2025)
Operating Cash Flow i104.90M91.86M
Operating Cash Flow % of Revenue i9.0%11.4%
Capital Expenditures i-112.05M-26.25M
Free Cash Flow i-33.92M-66.85M
FCF Margin i-2.9%-8.3%
Debt Repayment i-164.72M-41.15M
Common Stock Repurchase i-36.57M-10.40M

Short Interest & Institutional Ownership Analysis

MetricCVLGHTLD
Shares Short i566,9602.03M
Short Ratio i4.145.11
Short % of Float i3.31%4.46%
Shares Outstanding i25.07M77.45M
Float Shares i11.41M58.62M
% Held by Insiders i26.04%39.54%
% Held by Institutions i70.00%50.48%
% Held by Public i3.96%9.98%

Dividend Analysis & Yield Comparison: Covenant Logistics Group Inc. vs Heartland Express Inc.

MetricCVLGHTLD
Last 12-Month Dividend i$0.28$0.10
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i1.06%1.05%
3-Year Avg Annual Dividend i$0.18$0.09
3-Year Avg Dividend Yield i0.19%0.18%
3-Year Total Dividends i$0.54$0.26
Ex-Dividend DateMar 06, 2026Mar 24, 2026