Core Insights - Forward Air (FWRD) reported revenue of $618.84 million for the quarter ended June 2025, a decrease of 3.9% year-over-year, and an EPS of -$0.41 compared to -$23.29 in the same quarter last year [1] - The revenue fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $637.67 million, resulting in a surprise of -2.95%, while the EPS surprise was -141.18% against a consensus estimate of -$0.17 [1] Financial Performance Metrics - Operating Revenues from Expedited Freight were $257.7 million, below the two-analyst average estimate of $271.5 million, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 11.5% [4] - Operating Revenues from Eliminations and other operations reported at -$26.17 million, compared to the average estimate of -$20 million [4] - Operating Revenues from Omni Logistics were $328.32 million, slightly below the average estimate of $331.6 million, but showed a year-over-year increase of 5.3% [4] - Operating Revenues from Intermodal were $59.15 million, also below the average estimate of $64.3 million, with a year-over-year change of -0.3% [4] Stock Performance - Forward Air's shares have returned +10.5% over the past month, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.7% change [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating potential performance in line with the broader market in the near term [3]

Core Insights - Forward Air (FWRD) reported revenue of $613.28 million for the quarter ended March 2025, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 13.2% [1] - The company's EPS was -$1.59, a decline from -$0.64 in the same quarter last year, indicating a significant drop in profitability [1] - Revenue fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $618 million by 0.76%, while the EPS was below the consensus estimate of -$0.47 by 238.30% [1] Financial Performance - Operating Revenues from Expedited Freight were reported at $249.38 million, which is 8.8% lower than the average estimate of $258.90 million [4] - Operating Revenues from Eliminations and other operations were -$22.20 million, slightly worse than the average estimate of -$20 million [4] - Operating Revenues from Omni Logistics reached $323.47 million, exceeding the estimated $314.20 million [4] - Operating Revenues from Intermodal were $62.49 million, surpassing the average estimate of $59.40 million, with a year-over-year increase of 11% [4] Stock Performance - Forward Air's shares have increased by 59.5% over the past month, significantly outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite, which rose by 10.6% [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell), suggesting potential underperformance relative to the broader market in the near term [3]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For the full year 2024, the company reported consolidated EBITDA of $308 million, near the top of the guidance range of $300 million to $310 million [12] - Revenue for Q4 2024 was $633 million, an 87% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year, largely driven by the Omni transaction [28] - Consolidated income from continuing operations for Q4 was $76 million, which included a goodwill impairment adjustment of $79 million related to the Omni Logistics segment [33][34] - Consolidated EBITDA for Q4 was $69 million, representing an 11% margin [35] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue in the Expedited Freight segment decreased by $13 million or 4.7% to $266 million compared to the previous year's quarter, primarily due to a 5.8% decline in revenue per hundredweight [30] - The Intermodal segment's revenue remained flat at $60 million compared to Q4 2023, with a 3.2% increase in revenue per shipment offset by a 2.8% decrease in the number of trade shipments [32] - Omni Logistics generated $326 million in revenue for Q4, but saw a sequential decrease of $9 million or 2.7% compared to Q3 2024 [33] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company noted a prolonged slowdown in the freight environment, impacting the LTL market and contributing to a decrease in volume across segments [22] - The pricing strategy shift from density-rated tariffs to class-based tariffs has affected profitability, with corrective pricing actions implemented in Q4 expected to yield improvements in Q1 2025 [26][81] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on driving profitable long-term growth by expanding synergistic service offerings and rationalizing IT systems to improve data quality and decision-making [18][20] - A global shared services organization is being established to assist in integrating and managing back-office operations [18] - The company aims to shed poorly priced freight and improve yield through a revised pricing strategy [26][100] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to execute its strategy and enhance shareholder value, despite the challenges faced in 2024 [49] - The company anticipates that the foundational changes made in 2024 will benefit performance in 2025 and beyond [17] - Management acknowledged the importance of maintaining high service levels to drive customer retention and growth [23] Other Important Information - The company successfully delivered on targeted integration synergies and cost savings of $75 million, with total annualized savings exceeding $100 million [15][16] - The company ended Q4 with $382 million in liquidity, including $105 million in cash and $277 million available under the revolver [40] Q&A Session Summary Question: Impact of tariff and trade disruptions at Omni - Management indicated that while it is difficult to project the impact of tariffs on freight volumes, they do not foresee a major risk to the business from current trade dynamics [54][55] Question: Competition and market dynamics - Management acknowledged the presence of competitors but emphasized the company's focus on differentiation through technology and service quality [58] Question: Cash flow and balance sheet outlook - Management expressed optimism about becoming cash flow positive, especially after overcoming transaction expenses and legacy costs [63] Question: Drivers of Omni business performance - Management noted an increase in air and ocean volumes, supported by strong warehouse operations, despite a soft pricing environment [92][93] Question: Future pricing strategy and volume expectations - Management expects to see yield improvements while shedding unprofitable volume, indicating a focus on maintaining margins even in a challenging volume environment [100][101]