Additionally, the update from Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA), coupled with a mid-quarter update from ArcBest™, indicates a continuing sluggish freight market and a slow recovery. Despite market headwinds, Saia maintains robust financials with revenue growth of ~14% in the last twelve months and a market capitalization of $14.6 billion.
Tonnage per day increased by 5.7% year-over-year in November, a deceleration from the 6.9% growth seen in October. The market had anticipated a modest step-up in growth, considering the comparison to last year's October figures, which were influenced by increased less-than-truckload (LTL) volumes due to the Estes cyberattack.
Saia's shares experienced a 3% decline mid-day, aligning with market expectations that had predicted the uptick. However, the weight per shipment data showed a positive trend, with a 2.4% year-over-year growth in October and a 3.3% increase in November. This continued the acceleration from the 1.2% and 1.4% growth seen in August and September, respectively.
Additionally, the update from Saia, coupled with a mid-quarter update from ArcBest™, indicates a continuing sluggish freight market and a slow recovery. Despite market headwinds, Saia maintains robust financials with revenue growth of ~14% in the last twelve months and a market capitalization of $14.6 billion. As a result, Citi has also revised its earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Saia downward to align with the more cautious outlook reflected in the reduced price target.
Additionally, the update from Saia, coupled with a mid-quarter update from ArcBest™, indicates a continuing sluggish freight market and a slow recovery. Despite market headwinds, Saia maintains robust financials with revenue growth of ~14% in the last twelve months and a market capitalization of $14.6 billion.
In other recent news, Saia Inc. reported robust growth in Q3 2024, achieving record revenues of $842 million, marking an 8.6% increase year-over-year. This positive trend was further buoyed by a substantial rise in daily shipments. However, the company did experience a slight dip in its operating ratio due to increased operational expenses. Stephens, an independent financial services firm, maintained an Overweight rating on Saia's shares and raised the price target to $515 from $481, following these earnings results.
Saia's management has indicated that the peak period of start-up investments has concluded, forecasting better-than-seasonal operating ratio leverage in Q4 2024 and into 2025. This is expected to be driven by volume increases in the company's new terminals. The company has also provided guidance for 2025, projecting an operating ratio improvement of 100 to 150 basis points, attributing this to anticipated increases in incremental margins as terminal start-up costs decrease.
In addition to these financial highlights, Saia has made considerable strides in its expansion efforts, opening a record 11 new terminals in Q3 2024, bringing the total to 21 by year's end. Despite facing challenges such as cyber issues and hurricanes, Saia remains focused on long-term growth, customer service, and efficient capital expenditure, demonstrating a strategic approach to navigating the evolving market.
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