Saia (SAIA) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: $6.83B
• Dividend Yield: N/A
• Average Volume (3M): 674.47K
• Price to Earnings (P/E): 21.4
• Beta (1Y): 1.20
• Revenue Growth: 8.95%
• EPS Growth: -13.23%
• Country: US
• Employees: 15,300
• Sector: Industrials
• Sector Strength: 84
• Industry: Trucking
• EPS (TTM): 1.86
• Shares Outstanding: 26,634,005
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 802,250
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 674,469
• PEG Ratio: 0.39
• Price to Book (P/B): 3.52
• Price to Sales (P/S): 0.00
• P/FCF Ratio: 52.66
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: 0.81
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: 0.43
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: 9.19
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: 2.01
• 1Y Price Target: $287.29
• Price Target Upside: 12.05% Upside
• Rating Consensus: Moderate Buy
• Number of Analyst Covering: 17

• Rating: 68 Neutral
• Price Target: $276.00 ▲(7.64%Upside)

Saia's stock score reflects strong financial performance and reasonable valuation. However, bearish technical indicators and mixed earnings call sentiment temper the overall outlook. Continued attention to cash flow management and overcoming operational challenges are crucial for future performance.

Positive Factors

Operational Strength

Saia's tonnage growth in April and May outpaced competitors ODFL and XPO, showing some strength in their operations.

Pricing Trends

Pricing remains solid and worst-case demand destruction scenarios appear to have been taken off the table.

Negative Factors

Performance Concerns

Profitability at a 91% operating ratio is the worst level in five years, raising concerns about the company's performance.

Volume Growth Challenges

The difficult freight environment is impacting Saia's volume growth, despite their previous expansion efforts.

Saia Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Saia, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a transportation company in North America. The company provides less-than-truckload services for shipments between 400 and 10,000 pounds; and other value-added services, including non-asset truckload, expedited, and logistics services. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 176 owned and leased facilities; and owned approximately 5,600 tractors and 19,300 trailers. The company was formerly known as SCS Transportation, Inc. and changed its name to Saia, Inc. in July 2006. Saia, Inc. was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Johns Creek, Georgia.

How the Company Makes Money

Saia generates revenue predominantly through its less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation services, which allow multiple shippers to share space on a single truck. This model optimizes efficiency and cost-effectiveness for both Saia and its customers. Revenue is derived from freight charges based on shipment weight, distance, and service level. Additionally, Saia offers value-added services such as expedited shipping and customized logistics solutions, which contribute to its revenue streams. The company's financial performance is further bolstered by strategic partnerships with other logistics providers, enabling an expanded service reach and enhanced operational capabilities.

Saia Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Saia demonstrates strong financial performance with robust revenue growth and healthy profit margins. The income statement and balance sheet are strong, but negative free cash flow highlights potential liquidity concerns.

Income Statement

Saia's income statement shows strong financial performance with a consistent growth trajectory. The TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) gross profit margin stands at approximately 36.3%, indicating efficient cost management. The net profit margin is healthy at 9.9%, demonstrating profitability. Revenue growth rate from 2023 to 2024 is robust at 11.4%, and the EBIT margin is solid at 13.4%. While the EBITDA margin is strong at 20.2%, the slight decrease in EBIT from 2024 to TTM suggests some operational challenges.

Balance Sheet

Saia's balance sheet reflects financial stability with a low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05 in TTM, demonstrating conservative leverage. The return on equity (ROE) is impressive at 13.6%, indicating efficient use of equity capital. The equity ratio is robust at 70.2%, showing a strong capital structure. However, the decline in cash and short-term investments over the period could pose liquidity risks.

Cash Flow

The cash flow statement reveals a mixed picture. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is excellent at 1.83, indicating strong cash generation. However, the free cash flow has turned negative in TTM, primarily due to high capital expenditures, which may pressure future liquidity. The free cash flow to net income ratio is concerning at -0.0003, suggesting a need for improved cash flow management.

Breakdown
TTM	Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021	Dec 2020
Income Statement		Total Revenue
3.24B	3.21B	2.88B	2.79B	2.29B	1.82B
	Gross Profit
601.79M	644.41M	598.93M	590.96M	451.69M	283.85M
	EBIT
434.42M	482.16M	460.50M	313.46M	190.39M	44.27M
	EBITDA
655.63M	695.04M	647.61M	627.74M	472.95M	312.45M
	Net Income Common Stockholders
321.18M	362.06M	354.86M	357.42M	253.24M	138.34M
Balance Sheet		Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments
16.54M	19.47M	296.21M	187.39M	106.59M	25.31M
	Total Assets
3.37B	3.17B	2.58B	2.17B	1.85B	1.55B
	Total Debt
417.98M	324.46M	138.71M	154.51M	160.38M	186.51M
	Net Debt
401.45M	304.99M	-157.51M	-32.88M	53.79M	161.20M
	Total Liabilities
1.00B	855.59M	642.07M	595.37M	624.92M	587.49M
	Stockholders Equity
2.36B	2.31B	1.94B	1.58B	1.22B	961.29M
Cash Flow		Free Cash Flow
-202.97M	-459.86M	138.07M	105.60M	96.85M	78.00M
	Operating Cash Flow
586.31M	583.70M	577.95M	473.03M	382.59M	309.14M
	Investing Cash Flow
-786.11M	-1.04B	-448.70M	-365.51M	-277.85M	-218.82M
	Financing Cash Flow
204.03M	175.42M	-20.42M	-26.71M	-23.46M	-65.27M

Saia Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Negative
• Last Price: 256.40
• 50DMA: Negative
• 100DMA: Negative
• 200DMA: Negative
• MACD: Negative
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For SAIA, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 256.4 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 262.64, below the 50-day MA of 280.26, and below the 200-day MA of 411.72, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -6.16 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 42.44 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 55.11 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for SAIA.

Saia Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
ARCB	73 Outperform	$1.58B	9.09	14.25%	0.70%	-5.69%	51.78%
ODFL	69 Neutral	$33.06B	29.33	26.59%	0.71%	-2.63%	-6.12%
SAIA	68 Neutral	$6.83B	21.39	14.63%	―	8.95%	-13.23%
Sector *	64 Neutral	$10.24B	15.15	4.04%	2.02%	2.54%	-26.43%
KNX	64 Neutral	$6.90B	45.82	2.13%	1.69%	1.16%	36.33%
SNDR	61 Neutral	$4.15B	33.46	4.20%	1.60%	-0.30%	-20.76%
WERN	60 Neutral	$1.68B	95.68	1.21%	2.06%	-7.66%	-78.26%

Saia Corporate Events

Saia Reports Mixed May 2025 Shipment Data

On June 5, 2025, Saia, Inc. released its shipment and tonnage data for April and May 2025, revealing a mixed performance in its LTL operations. In April, LTL shipments per workday decreased by 1.9%, while tonnage increased by 4.4%, and weight per shipment rose by 6.5%. In May, shipments declined by 3.2%, tonnage slightly decreased by 0.4%, and weight per shipment increased by 3.0%. These figures suggest fluctuations in demand and operational efficiency, impacting Saia’s market positioning and stakeholder interests.

The most recent analyst rating on (SAIA) stock is a Hold with a $455.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Saia stock, see the SAIA Stock Forecast page.

Saia Reports Q1 2025 Earnings with Revenue Growth

Saia, Inc. reported its first quarter 2025 earnings, highlighting a 4.3% increase in revenue to $787.6 million, driven by growth in newer markets and ramping terminals. Despite achieving record revenue, the company faced challenges from adverse weather conditions and a muted macroeconomic environment, which impacted their operating ratio, deteriorating it to 91.1% from 84.4% the previous year. The company remains focused on improving service levels and managing costs to maintain its position as a trusted carrier.