Blue Bird Completes Micro Bird Acquisition, Expands Bus Portfolio

Blue Bird ( (BLBD) ) has issued an update.

On April 1, 2026, Blue Bird completed the roughly $200 million acquisition of Girardin Group’s 50% stake in their Micro Bird joint venture, using a mix of cash and stock. The deal gives Blue Bird full ownership of Micro Bird’s U.S. and Canadian entities, consolidating operations under one brand, while share lock‑ups and exchangeable share structures are designed to manage tax and ownership transitions for former partners.

By folding Micro Bird fully into its operations, Blue Bird unifies its North American manufacturing footprint and extends what it calls the industry’s broadest bus portfolio across Type A, C, and D models and multiple powertrains. The move deepens its presence in the growing Buy America–compliant shuttle bus segment anchored by Micro Bird’s Plattsburgh plant and brings long‑time partner Steve Girardin onto Blue Bird’s board, a step expected to bolster governance continuity and reinforce its leadership in the North American bus market.

The most recent analyst rating on (BLBD) stock is a Buy with a $55.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Blue Bird stock, see the BLBD Stock Forecast page.

Spark’s Take on BLBD Stock

According to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, BLBD is a Outperform.

The score is driven primarily by strong financial performance (profitability and cash-flow recovery alongside reduced leverage) and a constructive earnings update with raised EBITDA guidance and a solid backlog. These are tempered by weaker near-term technical momentum and the key operational risks flagged (tariffs/cost pressures and EV delivery timing), while valuation appears reasonable at ~13x earnings.

To see Spark’s full report on BLBD stock, click here.

More about Blue Bird

Blue Bird Corporation, listed on Nasdaq as BLBD, is a long-established manufacturer of school buses and related vehicles founded in 1927. The company focuses on designing, engineering, and producing school, multi‑purpose, and commercial buses with an emphasis on safety, reliability, and durability, and is a technology leader in low‑ and zero‑emission propane, natural gas, and electric models.

Micro Bird, created in 2009 as a joint venture between Girardin Minibus and Blue Bird, designs and builds Type A school, commercial, and electric buses. Headquartered in Drummondville, Quebec, with a newer facility in Plattsburgh, N.Y., it serves North American customers and supplies Buy America Act–compliant transportation solutions.

Average Trading Volume: 438,800

Technical Sentiment Signal: Buy

Current Market Cap: $1.86B

Find detailed analytics on BLBD stock on TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.