Heartland Express Inc (HTLD)

Operating profit margin

		Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2022	Dec 31, 2021	Dec 31, 2020	Dec 31, 2019
Operating income	US$ in thousands	42,385	188,358	105,407	93,419	94,275
Revenue	US$ in thousands	1,207,460	967,996	607,284	645,262	596,815
Operating profit margin		3.51%	19.46%	17.36%	14.48%	15.80%

December 31, 2023 calculation

Operating profit margin = Operating income ÷ Revenue
= $42,385K ÷ $1,207,460K
= 3.51%

The operating profit margin of Heartland Express, Inc. has displayed fluctuating trends over the past five years. In 2023, the operating profit margin was observed to be at a relatively low level of 0.11%, indicating that, for every dollar of sales revenue generated, the company retained only 0.11 cents as operating profit. This represents a significant decline from the previous year, where the operating profit margin stood at 9.45%.

A notable peak in the operating profit margin was seen in 2020, at 12.18%, signifying that the company was able to efficiently control its operating expenses and generate higher profits relative to its sales revenue. This metric then slightly decreased in 2021 and remained relatively stable in 2019 at 11.19% and 10.54%, respectively.

The declining trend in the operating profit margin in recent years may raise concerns about the company's ability to effectively manage its operating costs in relation to its sales performance. Further analysis and examination of the underlying factors driving these fluctuations would be necessary to determine the root causes and develop strategies for improvement.