Exploring Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. (ULH) Investor Profile: Who’s Buying and Why?

You might be looking at Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. and asking yourself why the stock is trading around the $14.27 mark as of late November 2025, especially after that Q3 2025 net loss of $(74.8) million-a number heavily skewed by an $81.2 million non-cash impairment charge in their intermodal business. Honestly, the investor profile tells a much deeper story than the headline numbers. Here's the quick math: institutional investors, including big players like BlackRock, Inc., hold a relatively low 25.5% of the shares, but the company's fate is defintely tied up with insiders like Matthew T. Moroun, who owns a massive 74.01% of the company. When one person holds that much, what does it mean for your position, and why are analysts still setting an average target price around $18.00 despite the negative consensus rating? We need to look past the recent revenue miss-Q3 came in at $396.8 million against a projected higher figure-and see what the long-term holders are actually buying into: a logistics company with a low price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 5.74 and a solid 3.1% dividend yield.

Who Invests in Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. and Why?

You're looking at Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. (ULH) and trying to figure out who's actually buying this stock, especially after a challenging year for the freight market. The quick answer is this: the ownership structure is defintely not a typical public company setup. It's dominated by a single, powerful group of insiders, which means the public float-the shares available for you and me-is small, and the institutional interest is focused on its value proposition and steady dividend.

Here's the quick math: the vast majority of the company is held by insiders, specifically the Moroun family. This is the most critical factor in understanding ULH's investor profile. It's not a stock where retail investors drive the price; it's a closely held operation where the family's long-term vision dictates the strategy.

The ULH Investor Breakdown: Insiders vs. Institutions

When you look at the shareholder registry for Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc., the split is stark. Unlike many companies where institutional funds hold the majority, ULH's control rests with its founders and executives, known as 'insiders.' Matthew T. Moroun, for example, is the largest individual shareholder, controlling a massive 74.01% of the outstanding shares.

This leaves the institutional investors-the mutual funds, pension funds, and asset managers like BlackRock, Inc. and Vanguard Group Inc.-holding about 28.82% of the company. They hold a total of over 8.6 million shares. To be fair, the retail investor presence is minimal, largely because the float is so small. It's a classic case of a company where the controlling family is the ultimate long-term holder.

• Insider Ownership: Over 130% (due to a high concentration of shares and potential voting power).
• Institutional Ownership: Approximately 28.82%.
• Key Institutions: Fmr LLC, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP, and BlackRock, Inc..

Investment Motivations: Stability in a Volatile Sector

So, what attracts these large institutions to a stock with such concentrated ownership? It boils down to a mix of value, income, and a bet on the core business segments. The Contract Logistics segment, which includes value-added services like material handling and dedicated transportation, continues to deliver solid results, even as the broader freight market remains weak.

The dividend is a major draw. For the 2025 fiscal year, Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. pays an annual dividend of $0.42 per share. This translates to a forward dividend yield of roughly 3.12% as of late 2025. Plus, with a low payout ratio of about 18.03% of earnings, that dividend is considered healthy and sustainable, which is exactly what income-focused funds look for. The Contract Logistics segment is the anchor. You can see the strategic focus on diversified services in the Mission Statement, Vision, & Core Values of Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. (ULH).

Investment Strategies: Contrarian Value and Long-Term Control

The strategies employed by ULH investors are shaped by the stock's high volatility and the dominant insider control. For the institutional side, the strategy is often one of Value Investing or a Contrarian Play. The stock price saw a massive decline of over 63% from November 2024 to November 2025, largely due to the weak freight backdrop and the Q3 2025 non-cash impairment charge of $81.2 million related to the intermodal segment. This kind of drop attracts value investors who believe the market is over-punishing the stock and that the core business, especially contract logistics, will recover. They are buying the company at a discount to its long-term potential.

The Moroun family, as the primary insiders, employs a pure Long-Term Holding and Control strategy. Their massive stake means they are not focused on short-term trading but on the generational value of the enterprise. For them, the quarterly fluctuations are noise; they are betting on the decades-long necessity of transportation and logistics services. The institutions, however, are using a more nuanced approach, balancing the income from the dividend against the risk of the underperforming intermodal business. Their goal is to capture that stable income stream while waiting for a cyclical recovery in the freight environment. The analyst consensus is a 'Hold,' which tells you most financial professionals are waiting for a clearer sign of a freight market turnaround before recommending a significant new position.

Next Step: Review the Q4 2025 revenue guidance of $365 million to $385 million to see if the revenue decline is slowing, which would signal a potential bottom for the contrarian value thesis.

Institutional Ownership and Major Shareholders of Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. (ULH)

If you're looking at Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. (ULH), the first thing you have to understand is that this isn't your typical publicly traded company. The narrative here is less about a free-floating stock and more about a tightly controlled operation with a layer of institutional money sitting on top. As of mid-2025, institutional investors hold about 29.81% of the company's stock, but the real power lies with the insiders, specifically the Moroun family, whose ownership is significantly higher, often cited around the 74% mark.

This high insider concentration-Matthew T. Moroun alone holds around 19.49 million shares, representing 74.01% of the company-is the single most important factor shaping ULH's stock behavior and long-term strategy. Institutional investors are essentially minority partners in a family-controlled business, which changes the investment calculus entirely.

Top Institutional Investors: Who's Buying ULH?

The institutional buyers are mostly the usual suspects: the large asset managers and index funds that track the small-cap and value segments where ULH often resides. They aren't necessarily making a huge, activist bet; they're buying because ULH is a constituent of their index or fund strategy. For the second quarter of 2025, the top holders are clear, and their positions are substantial in terms of market value, even if their percentage of the total company is modest compared to the insiders.

Here's the quick math on the largest institutional stakes based on Q2 2025 13F filings:

These are the giants of the industry, and their presence provides liquidity and a baseline of demand for the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP, for example, is a classic small-cap value buyer, suggesting ULH fits a specific quantitative screen for them. Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. (ULH): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money is a good place to start if you want to understand the foundation of this business.

Recent Shifts: Who's Accumulating and Who's Trimming?

The institutional landscape isn't static, and looking at the changes between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025 tells a story of selective accumulation. Some large players are defintely increasing their exposure, while others are trimming their positions, which is typical as fund managers rebalance their portfolios to manage risk and sector exposure.

• FMR LLC was a major buyer, increasing its stake by a significant 56%, adding over 1.4 million shares. This suggests a strong conviction in the stock's value proposition, likely viewing it as underpriced.
• American Century Companies Inc. also showed confidence, boosting its holdings by 33%.
• Conversely, massive passive managers like BlackRock, Inc. and Vanguard Group Inc. saw minor decreases of -8% and -2%, respectively. This is often just a function of index rebalancing or minor outflows from their funds, not necessarily a bearish call on ULH specifically.

The net buying by active managers like FMR LLC is the more compelling signal here. It suggests a belief that the company's underlying value, perhaps in its dedicated and value-added segments, is not fully reflected in the stock price, despite the broader macroeconomic headwinds in the trucking sector.

The Impact of Institutional Investors on ULH's Strategy

The role of institutional investors in Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. is less about driving strategic change and more about providing a crucial counterbalance to the dominant insider ownership. Since the Moroun family holds the majority of the voting power, the institutions function primarily as a stabilizing force and a check on governance, rather than as activist shareholders demanding a spin-off or a new CEO.

You saw this dynamic play out clearly in the third quarter of 2025. Despite the company reporting a significant operating loss of $74.2 million and a net loss of $74.8 million-driven largely by a massive $81.2 million in non-cash impairment charges in the intermodal segment-management still declared a cash dividend of $0.105 per share. The dividend decision, even amidst a loss, is a classic move to signal confidence to the market and, crucially, to keep income-focused institutional shareholders from selling off. It's a strategic message: We believe in the long-term cash flow, so we're not cutting the payout.

What this means for you as an investor is that the stock price is heavily influenced by the sentiment of the active institutional buyers and the long-term commitment of the Moroun family. You need to watch for any signs of a change in the insider stake, because a large sale there would be a far bigger event than any single institutional fund manager trimming a position.

Finance: Track FMR LLC's next 13F filing for Q4 2025 for a continued conviction signal by Friday.

Key Investors and Their Impact on Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. (ULH)

The investor profile for Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. (ULH) is defintely unique, dominated not by a typical institutional majority but by a single, powerful insider group. The takeaway is simple: the Moroun family's massive ownership stake means they, not the public market funds, are the true controlling interest, which drastically limits the influence of even the largest institutional investors.

As of the 2025 fiscal year, the ownership structure is split into two distinct camps: the controlling insiders and the passive institutional funds. The largest individual shareholder is Matthew T. Moroun, who holds an approximate 74.01% stake, representing 19,487,644 shares with a value of about $275.95 million. This level of concentration is what dictates all major strategic decisions, from capital allocation to the company's long-term Mission Statement, Vision, & Core Values of Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. (ULH).

The Moroun Family: The Controlling Stake

The Moroun family, through various trusts and direct holdings, holds a supermajority of Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc.'s shares. This is not just a large position; it is a controlling interest that effectively renders the company immune to the typical pressures of shareholder activism (Schedule 13D filings) that you see at other publicly traded companies. Honestly, with this level of control, the Moroun family's vision is the company's strategy.

Here's the quick math: when one family controls over 74% of the voting power, institutional investors, even giants like BlackRock, Inc., are essentially passive holders. They are buying for portfolio diversification or index tracking, not for influence. The high insider ownership explains why, despite a challenging freight market that saw the stock price drop to around $16.04 per share as of November 2025, there are no public proxy battles or demands for board seats.

Institutional Buying and Selling: Recent Moves

While the Moroun family is the anchor, the institutional investor movement in the third quarter of the 2025 fiscal year gives us a read on market sentiment toward the stock. Despite the company reporting Q2 2025 operating revenues of $393.8 million and full-year revenue guidance between $1.6 billion and $1.7 billion, the overall institutional ownership is low, around 28.82% of shares outstanding.

You see the big index players like BlackRock, Inc. and Vanguard Group Inc. on the list, but their recent activity shows marginal adjustments. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP, a major holder, slightly reduced its position by 0.11% in Q3 2025, and Vanguard Group Inc. cut its stake by a tiny 0.08%. But, some smaller funds are adding: American Century Companies Inc. increased its holding by 6.44%, and First Trust Advisors LP added 5.3% in the same quarter.

• Dimensional Fund Advisors LP: Reduced Q3 2025 stake by 0.11%.
• American Century Companies Inc.: Increased Q3 2025 stake by 6.44%.
• First Trust Advisors LP: Added 5.3% to their position in Q3 2025.

These moves suggest a cautious but mixed view. The larger, passive funds are trimming slightly, which is common in a soft freight market, but smaller, more active funds are seeing a buying opportunity, perhaps betting on the company's ability to maintain profitability, which saw Q2 2025 net income at $8.3 million, even with industry headwinds.

A final point on insider activity: there was no reported insider buying or selling in the 90 days leading up to mid-November 2025. This silence, following earlier 2025 buys by the CEO and CFO, suggests the Moroun family is content with their position and the current operational plan, which is all that really matters here.

Market Impact and Investor Sentiment

You're looking at Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. (ULH) and trying to figure out if the big players are buying, selling, or just sitting tight. The direct takeaway is that while the stock has taken a beating-down nearly 57% over the last year as of late October 2025-insider sentiment is surprisingly positive, and the institutional view is a cautious 'Hold' with a significant price target upside.

The company is essentially controlled by insiders, which is the most critical factor here. Matthew T. Moroun, the largest individual shareholder, owns approximately 19.49 million shares, representing a massive 74.01% of the company. Honestly, that level of ownership means the Moroun family's long-term vision dictates the company's direction far more than any short-term institutional trade. Insider sentiment is currently positive, fueled by high-impact open-market purchases. That's a strong signal of confidence, even when the market is punishing the stock.

• Insiders are buying; that's a vote of confidence.

The Institutional 'Hold' and Key Shareholders

The institutional ownership, which is the slice held by mutual funds and asset managers like BlackRock, Inc., sits around 25.5% of shares outstanding. This is a respectable amount, but it's dwarfed by the insider control. The largest institutional holders are Fmr LLC, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP, BlackRock, Inc., and Vanguard Group Inc.

Here's the quick math on the top institutional players based on Q3 2025 filings:

To be fair, institutional investors are generally taking a passive, index-driven, or small-cap value approach here, which explains why many are still holding despite the stock's volatility. BlackRock, Inc. and Vanguard Group Inc. are often holders due to their broad index-tracking funds, so their presence isn't a strong directional buy signal, but it does provide a baseline of liquidity and stability. For a deeper look into the company's structure, you can always check out Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. (ULH): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money.

Recent Market Reactions: The Upside Down

The stock market's response to Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc.'s recent performance has been counter-intuitive, showing that expectations were already very low. For example, after the company reported its Q2 2025 earnings-which actually missed analyst forecasts with an EPS of $0.32 versus an anticipated $0.34, and revenue of $393.8 million versus $398.5 million expected-the stock price surged nearly 10% in aftermarket trading.

This 'bad news is good news' reaction suggests the market had priced in something defintely worse. More recently, the Q3 2025 earnings saw the company report an EPS of $0.24, which topped the analyst consensus estimate of $0.18. This beat, coupled with a general market bounce, saw the stock gain over 10% in a single day in late November 2025. The stock is trading near its 52-week low of $12.78 as of November 2025, so any positive news triggers a sharp upward movement.

Analyst Perspectives on Key Investors' Impact

Analyst perspectives on Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. are mixed, but the consensus rating is a cautious 'Hold' or 'Reduce' as of November 2025. The average target price is around $24.00, which suggests a significant upside from the stock's current trading range.

The main driver of this caution is the weak freight backdrop and challenges in the intermodal segment, which is what led the company to lower its full-year 2025 revenue guidance to between $1.6 billion and $1.7 billion. However, analysts are also quick to point out the strength in the Contract Logistics segment, which continues to deliver solid results and is viewed as the strategic advantage of the business. Wall Street Zen, for instance, upgraded its rating from 'Sell' to 'Hold' in November 2025, reflecting a less bearish view.

The impact of the key investors is twofold: the high insider ownership acts as a floor, signaling a commitment to the long-term enterprise value, while the institutional 'Hold' reflects a wait-and-see approach. They are waiting for the Contract Logistics segment's growth to fully offset the persistent headwinds in the Intermodal business before upgrading their outlook. The low valuation, with a P/E ratio of 6.49 in early November 2025, is what keeps the 'Hold' ratings in place, suggesting the risk/reward profile is starting to look attractive for value investors.

The clear action here is to monitor the Contract Logistics segment's revenue growth-that's the real engine. Finance: track Contract Logistics revenue as a percentage of total revenue for Q4 2025 to gauge operational health.