Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) Releases Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.13 EPS

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The transportation company reported $1.77 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.90 by ($0.13), FiscalAI reports. Saia had a net margin of 7.89% and a return on equity of 9.86%. The firm had revenue of $789.95 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $773.82 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.84 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year.

Here are the key takeaways from Saia’s conference call:

• Management highlighted a record quarter ($790M) and record 2025 revenue, saying the $2 billion of recent capital investment and a now-national footprint drove market-share gains and profitable ramping terminals while customer service metrics (cargo claims and safety) hit company records.
• Volumes were weak: shipments per day were down 0.5% and tonnage down 1.5% in Q4, with Southern California volumes down ~18% (an estimated ~$4M revenue headwind) and modest declines in weight and length of haul.
• Costs pressured results: the Q4 operating ratio deteriorated to 91.9% (vs. 87.1% a year ago) driven by a ~ $4.7M adverse reserve build on prior accidents plus rising self-insurance, health insurance and depreciation, and diluted EPS fell to $1.77 from $2.84.
• Management said pricing capture is improving — GRI acceptance was slightly above historic levels and contractual renewals averaged 4.9% in Q4 (6.6% in January) — and they are actively pushing to be compensated for the investment-backed service expansion.
• Outlook: Saia expects to scale the network (management cites ~20–25% excess capacity) and projects a potential 100–200 basis point improvement in operating ratio in 2026 if macro conditions normalize or improve, while guiding ~$350–400M CapEx (largely maintenance/fleet) and noting a manageable balance sheet (~$164M total debt).

Saia Trading Up 1.8%

Saia stock opened at $388.68 on Thursday. Saia has a 52 week low of $229.12 and a 52 week high of $507.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a current ratio of 1.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.83 and a beta of 2.09. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $351.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $315.33.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Saia from $431.00 to $442.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Wolfe Research reaffirmed a “peer perform” rating on shares of Saia in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Evercore ISI set a $435.00 target price on shares of Saia in a research note on Wednesday. Evercore cut shares of Saia from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut Saia from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $250.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Tuesday. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Saia has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $378.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at Saia

In other Saia news, Director Donna E. Epps purchased 422 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $277.60 per share, for a total transaction of $117,147.20. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 1,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $514,115.20. This represents a 29.51% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Raymond R. Ramu sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $266.57, for a total value of $266,570.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 4,902 shares in the company, valued at $1,306,726.14. The trade was a 16.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Saia

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Viking Global Investors LP lifted its position in shares of Saia by 67.2% in the third quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 1,383,888 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $414,281,000 after purchasing an additional 556,229 shares in the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP increased its stake in Saia by 25.3% in the 2nd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 825,687 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $226,230,000 after buying an additional 166,486 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in Saia by 1,300.4% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 701,418 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $209,976,000 after buying an additional 651,332 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Saia by 18.3% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 569,918 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $186,090,000 after buying an additional 88,193 shares during the period. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. grew its holdings in shares of Saia by 25.7% during the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 259,557 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $77,701,000 after acquiring an additional 53,008 shares in the last quarter.

Key Saia News

Here are the key news stories impacting Saia this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target to $400 and kept an Overweight rating, signaling buy-side support after management highlighted network scale opportunities. Barclays price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its target to $395 (Equal Weight), another vote of confidence that the network build—though heavy on capex—could pay off over time. Wells Fargo price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Management reiterated a goal to improve the operating ratio by 100–200 basis points as network expansion drives scale — a concrete margin-improvement target that supports longer-term upside if execution holds. Operating ratio improvement target
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 revenue roughly matched/beat estimates (~$790M) and management pointed to continued ramp in new markets; top-line stability offsets some margin concerns but isn’t yet translating into profit recovery. Revenue and estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call and full transcripts are available for investors parsing management commentary on claims, capex and timing of margin improvement. Earnings call transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 EPS missed estimates ($1.77 vs. $1.90 consensus); full-year EPS and operating income declined materially year-over-year, reflecting profit pressure. Q4 results and EPS miss
• Negative Sentiment: Operating ratio worsened to 91.9% (Q4) and 89.1% (FY), driven by higher costs including ~$4.7M of elevated self-insurance from prior- year accidents — a near-term headwind to margins. Operating ratio and insurance impact
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley downgraded SAIA to Underweight with a $250 target (large implied downside), and some analysts/coverage note the stock’s high valuation vs. weakened profitability — elevating downside risk if volumes remain soft. Morgan Stanley downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst commentary (Seeking Alpha) flags that while network growth is impressive, margins are under pressure and valuation remains rich — a caution for value-focused investors. Seeking Alpha critique

Saia Company Profile

Saia, Inc is a publicly traded transportation company specializing in less-than-truckload (LTL) freight services across North America. Headquartered in Johns Creek, Georgia, the company focuses on the efficient movement of time-sensitive freight for a diverse customer base that spans retail, manufacturing, automotive, and healthcare industries. By leveraging a network of terminals and service centers, Saia provides tailored solutions designed to optimize supply chain performance.

The company’s core offerings include regional, interregional, and national LTL shipping, supported by volumetric LTL and port intermodal services.