Stifel cut XPO Logistics (NYSE:XPO) to Hold from Buy, lowering its price target on the stock to $48 from $51 per share in a note Tuesday in reaction to the company's earnings last week.
The company reported adjusted earnings of $0.56, $0.10 better than the analyst estimate of $0.46, while revenue for the quarter came in at $1.9 billion versus the consensus estimate of $1.87B.
Analysts at Stifel said the company's service and execution improved this past quarter, with a more focused strategy and management team.
"Crowning this execution were recent leadership appointments, including a new COO and Board member from best-in-class Old Dominion," said the analysts. "And no—everything doesn't change at once, but with healthy secular industry growth tailwinds, self-help margin improvement in a potentially slow/no growth environment, and half the industry mired in union labor negotiations this year, it's hard for us to argue that recent stock appreciation is unjustified."
However, they noted that with XPO rising almost 50% in the past few weeks, it has reached the firm's previous target and would require another rerating in a demand-uncertain environment.
"So, at the risk of being early, we are taking some profits, refocusing on other opportunities in the sector, and stepping to the sidelines for now," they concluded.