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

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The transportation company reported $3.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.38 by $0.13, Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $956.49 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $956.20 million. Saia had a return on equity of 10.21% and a net margin of 8.19%.Saia’s quarterly revenue was up 17.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.67 earnings per share.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Saia reported record second-quarter revenue of $956.5 million, up 17.1% year over year, while operating income rose 26% and diluted EPS increased 31.5% to $3.51. The operating ratio improved to 86.9% from 87.8% a year earlier.
• Positive Sentiment: Freight trends improved through the quarter, with shipments per workday up 4.4%, tonnage per workday up 8.4%, and weight per shipment rising for the seventh consecutive month. July month-to-date tonnage was up approximately 7.5%, although shipment growth was about 1% amid some volatility following the July price increase.
• Positive Sentiment: Pricing momentum strengthened, with revenue per shipment excluding fuel surcharge improving about 4% from April to June and contractual renewals reaching 10.7%. Saia said its 7.1% general rate increase implemented in July has received better-than-normal customer acceptance.
• Positive Sentiment: The company launched Saia REV, including more than 2,000 transit-time improvements, automated guaranteed 10:00 a.m. delivery, and enhanced real-time shipment visibility. Management believes these service enhancements should support customer retention and future pricing realization.
• Negative Sentiment: Elevated costs remain a headwind, particularly fuel, purchase transportation, insurance, and labor. Management expects approximately 100 basis points of sequential operating-ratio deterioration in the third quarter, partly reflecting a July wage increase and shipment volatility after the GRI, though this is better than typical seasonal deterioration.

Saia Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ SAIA traded down $3.00 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $347.63. 821,501 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 443,523. The firm has a market cap of $9.27 billion, a PE ratio of 33.56, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 2.13. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $437.65 and its 200-day simple moving average is $405.81. Saia has a 12 month low of $249.32 and a 12 month high of $494.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 1.52 and a current ratio of 1.58.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Saia

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in SAIA. Vestor Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Saia by 9.5% during the fourth quarter. Vestor Capital LLC now owns 323 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $96,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Saia by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 563 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $184,000 after buying an additional 31 shares during the period. Boothbay Fund Management LLC boosted its position in Saia by 3.2% during the second quarter. Boothbay Fund Management LLC now owns 1,401 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $384,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Vident Advisory LLC boosted its position in Saia by 4.4% during the second quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 1,075 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $295,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in Saia by 5.8% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 978 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $268,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the period.

More Saia News

Here are the key news stories impacting Saia this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Saia reported a solid Q2 2026: diluted EPS rose 31.5% year over year to $3.51, exceeding consensus estimates, while revenue increased 17.1% to a record $956.5 million. Operating income climbed 26% to $125.2 million, and the operating ratio improved to 86.9%. LTL tonnage and shipments per workday increased 8.4% and 4.4%, respectively. Saia Reports Second Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its Saia price target to $498 from $490 and maintained an “overweight” rating, signaling confidence in the company’s long-term growth and execution. JPMorgan price target update
• Positive Sentiment: Stifel upgraded SAIA from “hold” to “buy” and assigned a $438 price target, adding to the bullish analyst commentary. Stifel upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Stephens lowered its target to $490 from $520 but retained an “overweight” rating. The target remains well above the stock’s recent trading level, although the reduction reflects more cautious expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Management indicated that Q3’s operating ratio could deteriorate by approximately 100 basis points sequentially. Investors are concerned about a July wage increase, higher diesel, purchased transportation, insurance and workers’ compensation costs, as well as softer shipment growth following a 7.1% general rate increase. Saia Q3 margin outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo cut its price target sharply to $400 from $490 and shifted to an “equal weight” rating, reinforcing concerns about the company’s near-term margin and cost outlook. Wells Fargo price target update
• Negative Sentiment: Reported insider activity shows nine open-market sales and no purchases over the past six months, including sales by senior executives. While not necessarily company-specific, the pattern may add to investor caution.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SAIA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Saia from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Saia from $527.00 to $504.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Saia from $490.00 to $498.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Citigroup raised shares of Saia from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $524.00 to $488.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, TD Cowen dropped their price target on shares of Saia from $445.00 to $400.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $453.28.

About Saia

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.