XPO Is Bucking the Industry Headwinds. Can the Trucking Stock Keep Beating the Market?

Core Insights - The transportation sector is highly sensitive to macroeconomic conditions, often serving as a leading indicator for the economy [1] - XPO's first-quarter earnings report exceeded modest investor expectations, contrasting with its peers in the less-than-truckload (LTL) industry [2][3] Financial Performance - XPO's revenue decreased by 3.2% to $1.95 billion, with tonnage per day down 7.5% and shipments per day down 5.8% [5] - Despite the decline in volume, XPO achieved a 6.9% increase in pricing, improving its operating ratio [6] - The adjusted operating margin fell by 30 basis points sequentially to 85.9%, and down 370 basis points over the last two years [6] Operational Efficiency - XPO improved its on-time performance for the 12th consecutive quarter, attributing this to in-house technology that optimizes labor management [7] - The company significantly reduced outsourced transportation costs by 53%, with the percentage of linehaul miles outsourced dropping to 8.8% from 14.7% in 2024 and 23.8% in 2022 [8] Market Outlook - Year-over-year tonnage growth has shown improvement each month in 2023, with expectations to maintain this trend [9] - XPO is projected to achieve at least 600 basis points of improvement in operating ratio from 2021 to 2027, positioning it well against peers [10] - The stock has tripled over the last three years, indicating strong market performance and potential for continued growth [11]