ArcBest (NasdaqGS:ARCB) Q4 2025 Earnings call January 30, 2026 09:30 AM ET Speaker6Good morning, and thank you for standing by. Welcome to the ArcBest Fourth Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call. During the presentation, all participants will be in a listen-only mode. Afterwards, we will conduct a question-and-answer session. As a reminder, this call is being recorded. I will now turn it over to Amy Mendenhall, Vice President, Treasury, and Investor Relations. Please go ahead.Speaker0Good morning. I'm here ...

4Q'25 Earnings Presentation F O R W A R D L O O K I N G S T A T E M E N T S The following is a "safe harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Certain statements and information in this presentation may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, among others, statements regarding (i) our expectations about our intrinsic value or our prospects for growth and value creation and (ii) our fina ...

ArcBest (ARCB) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.36 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.45 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.33 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -19.10%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this freight transportation and logistics company would post earnings of $1.37 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.46, delivering a surprise of +6.57%.Over the la ...

Financial Performance - Fourth quarter 2025 revenue totaled $972.7 million, a decrease of 2.9% compared to $1.0 billion in the prior-year period[2] - Net loss from continuing operations was $8.1 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, compared to net income of $29.0 million, or $1.24 per diluted share, in Q4 2024[2] - Full year 2025 revenue was $4.0 billion, down from $4.2 billion in 2024, with net income of $60.1 million, or $2.62 per diluted share, compared to $173.4 million, or $7.28 per diluted share, in 2024[3] - Revenues for Q4 2025 were $972,688 thousand, a decrease of 2.7% from $1,001,645 thousand in Q4 2024[22] - The company reported a basic earnings per share of $(0.36) for Q4 2025, compared to $1.24 for Q4 2024[22] - Net income for the year ended December 31, 2025, was $60,098 thousand, down from $173,961 thousand in 2024, reflecting a decrease of 65.5%[25] - The company reported a net loss from continuing operations of $8.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to a profit of $60.1 million in 2024[33] Operating Performance - Operating income for the Asset-Based segment was $24.4 million with an operating ratio of 96.2%, compared to $52.3 million and 92.0% in Q4 2024[6] - The operating income from continuing operations for Q4 2025 was a loss of $8.3 million, compared to a profit of $38.2 million in Q4 2024[33] - The Asset-Light segment reported total operating expenses of $363.4 million in Q4 2025, with a total operating loss of $9.9 million[26] - Non-GAAP operating income for Q4 2025 was $13.7 million, compared to $41.4 million in Q4 2024[33] - Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA from Continuing Operations for the year ended December 31, 2025, was $285,755, down from $328,599 in 2024[38] Cash Flow and Investments - Total net capital expenditures in 2025 were $198 million, including $133 million for revenue equipment and $31 million in real estate[13] - The company invested $114,775 thousand in property, plant, and equipment in 2025, down from $223,103 thousand in 2024[25] - Operating cash flow for the year was $228,953 thousand, a decrease from $285,846 thousand in 2024, reflecting a decline of 20%[25] Assets and Liabilities - Total assets as of December 31, 2025, were $2,452,662 thousand, a slight increase from $2,429,731 thousand in 2024[24] - Total current liabilities decreased to $656,888 thousand in 2025 from $665,985 thousand in 2024, a reduction of 1.6%[24] - Cash and cash equivalents decreased to $102,030 thousand at the end of 2025 from $127,444 thousand at the end of 2024, marking a decline of 20%[25] Shareholder Returns - ArcBest returned over $86 million to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends in 2025[14] Revenue Segmentation - Revenue for the Asset-Light segment was $353.5 million, a decrease of 5.8% per shipment compared to Q4 2024[12] - Asset-Based revenues were $648.8 million in Q4 2025, down 1.6% from $656.2 million in Q4 2024, while Asset-Light revenues decreased by 5.8% to $353.5 million from $375.4 million[26] Operational Metrics - The average daily tonnage increased by 2.6% to 11,036 tons in Q4 2025, up from 10,758 tons in Q4 2024[43] - Shipments per day rose by 2.4% to 20,163 in Q4 2025, compared to 19,698 in Q4 2024[43] - For the three months ended December 31, 2025, ArcBest reported billed revenue per hundredweight (CWT) of $47.94, a decrease of 2.7% compared to $49.27 in the same period of 2024[43] - Shipments per employee per day in the Asset-Light segment increased by 18.5% year-over-year for the three months ended December 31, 2025[44] Tax and Impairment - The effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2025, was 26.7%, compared to 27.7% in 2024[36] - The company recognized noncash asset impairment charges related to indefinite-lived intangible assets during Q4 2025[42] Future Outlook - The company plans to continue investing in innovative technology and expanding its service offerings across multiple operating segments[31]

Core Insights - ArcBest reported a net loss of $8.1 million in Q4 2025, a significant decline from a net income of $29.0 million in Q4 2024, primarily due to a $9.1 million noncash impairment charge [2][3] - For the full year 2025, revenue decreased to $4.0 billion from $4.2 billion in 2024, with net income dropping to $60.1 million from $173.4 million in the previous year [3][4] Financial Performance - Q4 2025 revenue was $972.7 million, down from $1.0 billion in Q4 2024, with a diluted loss per share of $0.36 compared to earnings of $1.24 per share in the prior year [2][24] - Full year 2025 net income was $60.1 million, or $2.62 per diluted share, compared to $173.4 million, or $7.28 per diluted share, in 2024 [3][24] - On a non-GAAP basis, Q4 2025 net income was $8.2 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, down from $31.2 million, or $1.33 per diluted share, in Q4 2024 [2][3] Operational Highlights - The company experienced tonnage growth in Q4 2025, driven by an increase in daily shipments from newly onboarded core LTL customers, although existing customer shipments showed softness [5][6] - Customer contract renewals and deferred pricing agreements averaged a 5.0% increase in Q4 2025, but billed revenue per hundredweight declined approximately 3% year-over-year [6][7] - Operating expenses rose due to additional labor, annual wage adjustments, and higher equipment depreciation [6][7] Segment Performance - In the Asset-Based segment, revenue for the full year 2025 was $2.7 billion, down from $2.8 billion in 2024, with a per-day decrease of 0.2% [12][32] - The Asset-Light segment saw a revenue decline primarily due to lower revenue per shipment in a soft-rate environment, although shipments per day increased slightly [8][11] - Despite revenue declines in the Asset-Light segment, disciplined cost management led to breakeven non-GAAP operating results [8][9] Capital Management - ArcBest returned over $86 million to shareholders in 2025 through share repurchases and dividends, while maintaining a focus on organic capital investments [14] - Total net capital expenditures in 2025 were $198 million, with significant investments in revenue equipment and real estate [13]

Wall Street estimates the earnings per share (EPS) to be $0.45, with projected revenue of approximately $967.4 million. The market anticipates a decline in ArcBest's earnings for the fourth quarter, with lower revenues compared to the previous year. ArcBest's financial metrics include a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of approximately 20.29, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.ArcBest Corporation, listed as NASDAQ:ARCB, is a logistics company that provides freight transportation services and solutions. The co ...

Runser continued, "We are grateful for Craig's, Kathy's and Fredrik's leadership and their significant contributions during a period of growth and transformation for ArcBest. On behalf of the entire board, I thank them for their service and wish them all the best.†These changes are the result of ArcBest's ongoing assessment of board size and composition, as well as directors' diverse skills and capabilities. ArcBest is committed to best-in-class corporate governance and remains focused on advancing its st ...

Core Viewpoint - The Zacks Transportation-Truck industry is currently facing significant challenges due to supply-chain disruptions, a weak freight environment, and macroeconomic issues, including geopolitical tensions and high inflation levels [1][4]. Industry Overview - The Zacks Transportation-Truck industry consists of truck operators that transport freight across North America, offering various services such as full-truckload and less-than-truckload (LTL) [3]. - Companies in this sector provide a range of trucking services, including dry-van, dedicated, refrigerated, flatbed, and expedited services, along with logistics and intermodal services [3]. Current Trends - **Freight Downturn**: The industry is experiencing a prolonged freight downturn, with the Cass Freight Shipments Index declining by 7.6% year over year in November 2025, marking a consistent decline over the past nine months [4]. - **Cost Management**: Companies are implementing cost-reduction strategies to combat input cost inflation and maintain margins, focusing on operational efficiency and high-growth markets [5]. - **Driver Shortage**: The trucking industry is facing a severe shortage of drivers, with an expected shortfall of over 160,000 drivers by 2030, exacerbating supply-chain challenges [6]. Industry Performance - The Zacks Transportation-Truck industry ranks 234 out of 243 Zacks industries, placing it in the bottom 2%, indicating poor near-term prospects [7]. - The industry's earnings estimate for 2026 has decreased by 30.9% year over year, reflecting a negative outlook among analysts [8]. - Over the past year, the industry has underperformed, declining by 3.7%, while the S&P 500 increased by 18.1% and the broader transportation sector rose by 1.4% [10]. Valuation Metrics - The industry is currently trading at an EV-to-EBITDA ratio of 14.37X, which is lower than the S&P 500's 18.99X but higher than the sector's 10.83X [13]. Notable Companies - **J.B. Hunt Transport Services (JBHT)**: This company has seen its shares increase by 11% over the past year and has a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold). It has surpassed earnings estimates in two of the last four quarters [17][18]. - **Saia (SAIA)**: Saia provides regional and interregional LTL services and also holds a Zacks Rank of 3, having surpassed earnings estimates in three of the last four quarters [21][22]. - **ArcBest Corporation (ARCB)**: ArcBest is focused on cost control and productivity improvements, expecting a 37.9% year-over-year increase in earnings per share for 2026. It also carries a Zacks Rank of 3 [24].

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Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the importance of fundamental analysis in identifying undervalued companies with long-term growth potential, advocating for a value investing approach that focuses on buying quality companies at a discount to their intrinsic value and holding them for the long term to maximize earnings and shareholder returns. Group 1 - The investment strategy combines value investing principles with a focus on long-term growth [1] - The approach involves purchasing quality companies at a discount to their intrinsic value [1] - The goal is to allow companies to compound their earnings and shareholder returns over time [1]