Blue Bird Corporation

BLBD

Auto - Manufacturers · Consumer Cyclical

Price

$61.89

+0.56 (+0.91%)

Market Cap

$1.96B

Exchange

NASDAQ

Winston Score

Winston is curious

A decent business — some strong pillars, some weaker.

Data as of Aug 23, 2026 · filings through Jun 27, 2026

How the score breaks down

Quality

Good

Growth

Exceptional

Cash Flow

Good

Stability

Exceptional

Valuation

Good

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Share count rising — dilution

+21.2% over 4y

The company has issued more shares over this period, which dilutes each existing shareholder’s stake.

Diluted shares outstanding: 27.1M (2021) → 32.9M (2025)

Winston Score History

The full picture

Blue Bird Corporation makes school buses. It sells them mainly to school districts and government agencies across the United States and Canada. Blue Bird is one of the two largest school bus manufacturers in North America, and it has been building buses for over 100 years.

The company makes money by selling buses directly to customers, often through a dealer network. It also earns revenue from parts and service. Blue Bird has leaned into electric and propane-powered buses, which sets it apart as school districts look to replace aging diesel fleets using federal clean-energy funding. That federal funding — including grants from the EPA's Clean School Bus Program — has been a major growth driver, but reliance on government spending means demand could slow if those programs are cut or delayed.

Growth Profile

For growth stock investors

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

+29.9% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Revenue accelerating

EPS Growth

+366.4% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

EPS growth accelerating

R&D Spend

$0/ year

0.0% of revenue

Below sector average (4%)

Research and development spending

Insider Activity

1.2%ownership

Relatively low insider ownership

Cash Position

Cash flow positive

$117M cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

↓ Burn rate worsening

Company generates more cash than it spends — no dilution risk from fundraising

Revenue accelerating

Blue Bird Corporation grew revenue 30% year-over-year and the growth rate is speeding up. That's the kind of momentum growth investors look for — the question is whether margins can follow.

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

Each metric is explained in plain language so you know exactly what you're looking at. Start your free trial now.

Quality

Profit per sale

Gross Margin

20.0%

Thin — 20.0% gross margin

Profit after running costs

Operating Margin

12.1%

Healthy — 12.1% operating margin

Return on the money invested

ROCE

25.6%

Exceptional — 25.6% return on capital

ROIC above 25%. Every dollar invested in the business earns more than 25 cents back per year.

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Growth

Sales growth

Sales YoY

+13.5%

Fast-growing sales (+13.5% YoY)

Profit growth

EPS YoY

+132.8%

Earnings growing fast (+132.8% YoY)

Earnings growing 25%+ a year. The compounder zone.

How steady the profit is

EPS Consistency

8/8 quarters

Every recent quarter grew earnings vs last year

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Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash

Cash Conversion

64%

Modest — 64% of profit becomes cash

Spare cash per sale

FCF Margin

9.5%

Modest free cash flow (9.5%)

FCF margin between 0% and 10%. Some cash from sales, but not a lot.

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Stability

What it owes vs what it owns

Debt / Equity

0.13

Conservative — low debt load (0.13)

Covers its interest

Interest Cover

27.87x

Comfortably covers interest (27.9x)

Interest coverage above 8. Profits cover interest many times over.

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Valuation

Price vs profit

P/E Ratio (TTM)

7.3x

Attractive valuation — P/E 7.3

P/E under 10. The price tag is small relative to last year's profit.

Cheaper or dearer next year

P/E vs Forward

-4.3

SLOWING

Earnings expected to fall — forward P/E higher than today

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Dividends

Not applicable for this business.

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