It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Landstar System (LSTR). Shares have added about 8.9% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.
Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Landstar due for a pullback? Well, first let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent catalysts for Landstar System, Inc. before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late.
Landstar Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates
Landstar reported solid first-quarter 2026 results, wherein its earnings and revenues surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate and improved year over year.
Quarterly earnings of $1.16 per share surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.11 and grew 36.5% year over year (despite being unfavorably impacted by almost 10 cents related to the previously disclosed supply chain fraud matter). Revenues of $1.17 billion beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.15 billion and surged 1.6% year over year.
Operating income surged 35.1% from the prior-year quarter’s figure to $53.23 million. Total costs and expenses (on a reported basis) rose 0.4% year over year to $1.12 billion.
LSTR’s Q1 Segmental Details
Total revenues in the truck transportation segment — contributing to 92.4% of the top line — amounted to $1.08 billion, up 3.1% from the year-ago quarter’s figure. The reported figure was in line with our expectations of $1.06 billion.
Rail intermodal revenues of $19.31 million rose 10.4% from the figure recorded in first-quarter 2025. The reported figure was below our expectations of $21.6 million.
Revenues in the ocean and air-cargo carrier segments fell 26.9% year over year to $47.96 million. The reported figure was below our expectations of $71.7 million.
Other revenues increased 10.5% year over year to $21.72 million. The reported figure was above our expectations of $16.8 million.
Liquidity, Dividends & Buyback
At the end of first-quarter 2026, Landstar had cash and cash equivalents of $353.25 million compared with $396.69 million recorded at the prior-quarter end. Additionally, long-term debt (excluding current maturities) totaled $43.14 million at the end of the first quarter compared with $48.48 million at the prior-quarter end.
During the first quarter of 2026, Landstar purchased 150,923 shares for $22.6 million. Landstar is currently authorized to purchase up to an additional 1,115,195 shares under its longstanding share purchase program. Landstar’s board of directorsalsoannounced a quarterly cash dividend of 40 cents per share payable on June 9, 2026, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 19, 2026.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?
Since the earnings release, investors have witnessed a upward trend in estimates review.
VGM Scores
At this time, Landstar has a great Growth Score of A, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with a C. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock was allocated a grade of D on the value side, putting it in the bottom 40% for value investors.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of B. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
Outlook
Estimates have been trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. Notably, Landstar has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.
Performance of an Industry Player
Landstar belongs to the Zacks Transportation - Truck industry. Another stock from the same industry, JB Hunt (JBHT), has gained 10% over the past month. More than a month has passed since the company reported results for the quarter ended March 2026.
JB Hunt reported revenues of $3.06 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +4.6%. EPS of $1.49 for the same period compares with $1.17 a year ago.
For the current quarter, JB Hunt is expected to post earnings of $1.69 per share, indicating a change of +29% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +0.4% over the last 30 days.
JB Hunt has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) based on the overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions. Additionally, the stock has a VGM Score of C.
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Landstar System, Inc. (LSTR): Free Stock Analysis Report
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).