Expeditors International of Washington(US:EXPD) ZACKS·2025-12-23 15:21Core Insights - Expeditors International of Washington (EXPD) is benefiting from effective cost-cutting measures and shareholder-friendly initiatives, leading to strong stock performance and encouraging investment opportunities [1] Factors Favoring EXPD Stock - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fourth-quarter 2025 earnings has increased by 13.2% in the past 60 days, with upward revisions of 6.86% and 7.57% for the current year and 2026, respectively, indicating broker confidence in the stock [2] - EXPD shares have gained 26.3% over the past three months, significantly outperforming the transportation-services industry's 5.7% increase [3][7] Financial Performance - EXPD currently holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) and has a positive earnings surprise history, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters with an average beat of 13.94% [5] - In Q3 2025, total operating expenses were $2.6 billion, reflecting a 3.4% year-over-year decrease, primarily due to a 31% reduction in ocean freight and ocean services expenses, which accounted for 21% of total operating costs [6][8] Shareholder Returns - The company returned $212 million to shareholders in Q3 2025 through dividends and share buybacks, demonstrating a commitment to shareholder value [7][10] - In June 2025, EXPD increased its semi-annual dividend by 5.5%, raising it from $0.73 to $0.77 per share, with a subsequent declaration of the same dividend amount for November 2025 [9] - The company has a history of rewarding shareholders, having raised dividends by 15.5% in 2022 and 3% in 2023, alongside executing over $1.5 billion in share buybacks in 2022 [10]