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Knight Transportation
(NYSE:KNX)
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Rating:58Neutral
Price Target:
$66.00
â–¼(-3.65% Downside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:10/22/26
KNX scores in the mid-range driven by solid balance-sheet strength and strong current cash generation, plus constructive guidance pointing to continued Truckload margin recovery. Offsetting these positives are very weak current profitability, bearish technical momentum (price below key moving averages with negative MACD), and a very high P/E that leaves little room for execution missteps or a slower recovery.
Positive Factors
Cash Generation and Balance Sheet
Strong operating and free cash flow provide internal funding for fleet, technology, and network needs while manageable leverage preserves financial flexibility. This combination can help Knight-Swift withstand softer freight conditions and continue investing without relying heavily on additional borrowing.
Negative Factors
Weak Current Profitability
Current earnings power remains fragile despite solid cash generation: very thin margins and sharply lower ROE show that the asset base is producing weak returns. Until pricing and costs normalize, modest revenue growth may not translate into durable profit or shareholder returns.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Cash Generation and Balance Sheet
Strong operating and free cash flow provide internal funding for fleet, technology, and network needs while manageable leverage preserves financial flexibility. This combination can help Knight-Swift withstand softer freight conditions and continue investing without relying heavily on additional borrowing.
Read all positive factors
Knight Transportation (KNX) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$10.29B
Dividend Yield1.23%
Average Volume (3M)3.57M
Price to Earnings (P/E)66.5
Beta (1Y)1.03
Revenue Growth4.07%
EPS Growth-74.05%
CountryUS
Employees37,100
SectorIndustrials
Sector Strength72
IndustryTrucking
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)0.27
Shares Outstanding162,756,000
10 Day Avg. Volume3,137,693
30 Day Avg. Volume3,571,699
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio-2.91
Price to Book (P/B)1.20
Price to Sales (P/S)1.14
P/FCF Ratio11.12
Enterprise Value/Market Cap1.23
Enterprise Value/Revenue1.64
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit6.63
Enterprise Value/Ebitda12.56
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$86.15Price Target Upside25.77% Upside
Rating ConsensusStrong Buy
Number of Analyst Covering13
EPS Forecast (FY)2.31
Revenue Forecast (FY)$8.25B
Knight Transportation Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. (KNX) stands as a prominent provider of transportation services, specializing in truckload freight solutions for clients throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Its operational scope is segmented...
How the Company Makes Money
Knight-Swift primarily makes money by moving and arranging the movement of freight. A major revenue stream comes from its Truckload segment, where it generates transportation revenue by hauling full-truckload shipments for shippers under contracte...
Knight Transportation Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Oct 21, 2026
(Q3-2026)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Jan 27, 2027
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call was broadly constructive, supported by strong consolidated earnings growth, accelerating Truckload pricing and margin recovery, improving Intermodal and Logistics performance, and expectations for further Truckload improvement. The company continues to face driver availability constraints, cost inflation, seasonal fourth-quarter pressure, LTL network-transition costs, and uncertainty around insurance, equipment, and peak-season demand, but management expressed confidence in its ability to manage these issues and capture additional opportunities.Positive Updates
Strong Consolidated Earnings Growth
Third-quarter consolidated revenue increased 14.2% year over year, while revenue excluding Truckload and LTL fuel surcharge increased 7.7%. Operating income grew $128 million, or 255.1%, adjusted operating income grew $93 million, or 87.4%, GAAP diluted EPS increased to $0.72 from $0.05, adjusted EPS increased to $0.83 from $0.32, and the consolidated adjusted operating ratio improved 450 basis points year over year to 89.3%.
Negative Updates
Truckload Margins Remain Below Desired Levels
Management said there is still much work to do to return to normal operating levels. Although margins are approaching recognizable territory and have improved meaningfully, they remain below the levels management expects in the midst of an up cycle and require further expansion.
Read all updates
Q3-2026 Updates
Positive
Negative
Strong Consolidated Earnings Growth
Third-quarter consolidated revenue increased 14.2% year over year, while revenue excluding Truckload and LTL fuel surcharge increased 7.7%. Operating income grew $128 million, or 255.1%, adjusted operating income grew $93 million, or 87.4%, GAAP diluted EPS increased to $0.72 from $0.05, adjusted EPS increased to $0.83 from $0.32, and the consolidated adjusted operating ratio improved 450 basis points year over year to 89.3%.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
For the fourth quarter of 2026, adjusted EPS is projected to be in the range of $0.78-$0.84; Truckload operating income is projected to meaningfully improve sequentially into the fourth quarter, driven by further rate realization and seasonal project activity; LTL and All Other Segments earnings are expected to show the typical seasonal step down, with All Other Segments expected to produce an operating loss and including an estimated $6.5 million of costs for the AR securitization facility. For the 2027 bid season, the company expects to start with the idea of probably low to mid double digits, while noting that contract rates could improve from low double digits; for All Other Segments, the best assumption is the same quarterly cadence in 2027 as 2026, with the cadence roughly similar next year.Knight Transportation Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
43
Neutral
Balance Sheet
72
Positive
Cash Flow
76
Positive
| Breakdown | TTM | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 7.73B | 7.47B | 7.41B | 7.14B | 7.43B | 6.00B |
| Gross Profit | 1.91B | 2.11B | 1.80B | 1.96B | 2.41B | 1.97B |
| EBITDA | 1.01B | 1.05B | 1.03B | 1.01B | 1.66B | 1.47B |
| Net Income | 42.94M | 65.95M | 117.63M | 217.15M | 771.33M | 743.39M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 12.00B | 11.96B | 13.07B | 13.26B | 11.14B | 10.82B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 186.11M | 302.80M | 365.94M | 466.35M | 389.74M | 354.11M |
| Total Debt | 2.68B | 2.89B | 2.82B | 2.67B | 1.67B | 1.96B |
| Total Liabilities | 5.01B | 4.86B | 5.96B | 6.16B | 4.18B | 4.27B |
| Stockholders Equity | 6.98B | 7.08B | 7.11B | 7.09B | 6.95B | 6.53B |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 1.14B | 763.23M | -20.09M | 90.06M | 635.29M | 656.06M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 1.39B | 1.27B | 799.06M | 1.16B | 1.44B | 1.19B |
| Investing Cash Flow | -587.84M | -520.39M | -759.12M | -1.23B | -646.18M | -1.82B |
| Financing Cash Flow | -880.53M | -807.74M | -139.40M | 150.69M | -754.35M | 779.33M |
Knight Transportation Technical Analysis
Negative
68.50
Price Trends
66.93
Negative
70.80
Negative
65.59
Negative
Market Momentum
-1.06
Positive
39.37
Neutral
23.58
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For KNX, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 68.5 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 64.16, above the 50-day MA of 66.93, and above the 200-day MA of 65.59, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -1.06 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 39.37 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 23.58 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for KNX.
Knight Transportation Risk Analysis
Knight Transportation disclosed 46 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Knight Transportation reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks
Knight Transportation Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (63)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
63 Neutral | $10.79B | 15.43 | 7.44% | 2.01% | 2.89% | -14.66% | |
61 Neutral | $5.41B | 48.31 | 3.68% | 1.28% | 6.25% | -10.92% | |
58 Neutral | $10.29B | 66.53 | 2.18% | 1.23% | 4.07% | -74.05% | |
51 Neutral | $1.02B | 81.57 | 1.74% | 1.90% | -6.87% | -39.59% | |
51 Neutral | $1.79B | -39.26 | -3.39% | 1.87% | 9.64% | -190.02% | |
49 Neutral | $758.80M | 199.33 | 0.92% | 0.94% | 8.34% | -89.15% | |
46 Neutral | $794.21M | -64.21 | -1.69% | 0.78% | -17.23% | 63.20% |
* Industrials Sector Average
KNX
Knight Transportation
62.52
19.05
43.81%
CVLG
Covenant Logistics Group
29.77
10.00
50.55%
HTLD
Heartland Express
10.29
2.28
28.45%
MRTN
Marten Transport
12.30
1.80
17.14%
WERN
Werner Enterprises
29.18
2.26
8.39%
SNDR
Schneider National
31.12
8.73
38.99%
Knight Transportation Corporate Events
Business Operations and StrategyDividends
Knight Transportation Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend for Shareholders
Positive
Aug 6, 2026
Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. said its board of directors on August 5, 2026, declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share of common stock. The payout will go to shareholders of record as of September 4, 2026, with the dividend...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.