The beat on both EPS and revenue, combined with record tonnage and a new buyback authorization, signals strong operational momentum. Watch the Q4 2026 earnings for continued tonnage growth and margin trajectory, as the operating ratio ticked up 170 bps on a GAAP basis.
Price Chart
Executive Summary
Saia reported Q3 2026 EPS of $3.41, beating the $3.30 consensus by 3.3%, and record revenue of $982.5M, above the $967.1M estimate. Revenue grew 17.0% YoY, driven by record LTL tonnage per workday (+8.9%) and improved pricing. The board authorized a $250M stock repurchase program.
Key Financial Metrics
Key Facts
- Q3 2026 GAAP diluted EPS $3.41 vs $3.30 consensus (beat by 3.3%)
- Record revenue $982.5M, up 17.0% YoY, above $967.1M consensus
- Operating income $122.3M, up 3.1% YoY (17.5% adjusted YoY)
- Operating ratio 87.6% vs 85.9% prior year (adjusted 87.6% vs 87.6%)
- Board authorized $250M stock repurchase program, no expiration
- Year-to-date free cash flow $244.9M vs $11.6M prior year
- Cash $202.5M, debt $100.0M; net cash position improved
- Full-year 2026 net capex expected ~$350M
Financial Impact
EPS beat of $0.11 (3.3%) and revenue beat of $15.4M (1.6%) on record top line; $250M buyback authorization represents ~2.7% of market cap
Risk Factors
- Operating ratio deteriorated to 87.6% from 85.9% (GAAP), indicating cost pressures despite revenue growth
- Fuel and purchased transportation costs rose significantly (fuel +28.4%, purchased transportation +52.4% YoY)
- Buyback authorization is discretionary and may not be fully executed
Market Snapshot
Investment Themes
Documents Analyzed
This report is based on 1 press release from GlobeNewswire.
| Document | Accession Number |
|---|---|
| PRESS-RELEASE Data (Synthetic) | press-3391146 |
Filters
| Type | Now | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oct 29, 2026 1d ago | 8-K | No price | awaiting T+20 | awaiting T+20 | No price |
Oct 29, 2026 1d ago | Press Release | $333.00 | awaiting T+20 | awaiting T+20 | $350.59 (+5.28%) |
Sep 30, 2026 29d ago | Press Release | $344.38 $343.07 | ▼ −0.38% | ▼ −1.08% | $350.59 (+1.80%) |
Sep 29, 2026 4w ago | Press Release | $333.74 | awaiting T+20 | awaiting T+20 | $350.59 (+5.05%) |
Sep 3, 2026 8w ago | 8-K | $345.81 $351.12 | ▲ +1.54% | ▲ +2.72% | $350.59 (+1.38%) |
Sep 3, 2026 8w ago | Press Release | $345.81 $351.12 | ▲ +1.54% | ▲ +2.72% | $350.59 (+1.38%) |
Jul 30, 2026 13w ago | 8-K | $350.63 $353.08 | ▲ +0.70% | ▼ −3.27% | $350.59 (−0.01%) |
Jul 1, 2026 17w ago | Press Release | $418.15 $394.44 | ▼ −5.67% | ▼ −3.48% | $350.59 (−16.16%) |
Jun 11, 2026 20w ago | Institutional Cluster | $487.14 $421.29 | ▼ −13.52% | ▼ −15.41% | $350.59 (−28.03%) |
Jun 2, 2026 21w ago | 8-K | $471.15 $418.15 | ▼ −11.25% | ▼ −9.68% | $350.59 (−25.59%) |
US Market Status
Subscribe to SecBot
Get Real-Time SEC Filing Intelligence
Comprehensive SEC filing analysis delivered the moment filings hit EDGAR. Sentiment scoring, impact analysis, and actionable insights for every material event.
Create a free account Live analysis, Telegram alerts, watchlists and the MCP server for subscribers