Why Heartland Express Shares Popped

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of trucking company Heartland Express jumped 24% today following an acquisition announcement.

So what: Heartland Express is buying Gordon Trucking for $300 million in cash, stock, and debt. The deal will build the combined company into the fifth largest asset-based truckload fleet in North America and should give the company about $1 billion in revenue next year.

Now what: The hope is to save another $30 million in synergies by 2017. This is often an item management points to when making an acquisition, but the cost savings rarely come true. Last year, Gordon Trucking only generated $20 million in operating income, so I don't think this is a steal at $300 million and won't be buying at the elevated price investors have given the stock today.

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The article Why Heartland Express Shares Popped originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Travis Hoium has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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