ArcBest Corporation ARCB is scheduled to report second-quarter 2026 results on July 29, before the market opens.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ARCB’s second-quarter 2026 earnings is currently pegged at $2.3 per share, indicating an uptick of 62 cents in the past 60 days. The consensus mark implies a 69.1% upward movement from the year-ago actual.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ARCB’s second-quarter 2026 revenues is currently pegged at $1.2 billion. The consensus mark implies a 16.8% upward movement from the year-ago actual.
For full-year 2026, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ARCB’s revenues is pegged at $4.51 billion, implying an increase of 12.5% year over year. The consensus mark for full-year EPS is pinned at $6.62, calling for a 78.9% year-over-year expansion. Moreover, the consensus mark for 2026 EPS points to a 25.1% upward revision over the past 60 days.
ARCB’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters (missing the mark twice). The average miss is 0.8%.
ArcBest Corporation Price and EPS Surprise
ArcBest Corporation price-eps-surprise | ArcBest Corporation Quote
Factors at Play Ahead of ARCB's Q2 Results
We expect the company’s second-quarter 2026 results to benefit from the improving freight scenario. Truckload capacity has been tightening as carriers exit the industry, while manufacturing indicators have moved into expansion. That backdrop has been helping create a more supportive pricing environment for ArcBest.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter Asset-Based revenues is currently pegged at $795 million, highlighting a 21.4% increase from the first-quarter 2026 actuals. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter Asset-Light revenues is currently pegged at $431 million, highlighting a 14% increase from the first-quarter 2026 actuals.
Technology is central to the margin story. ArcBest’s continuous improvement training has reached the majority of its network and has been generating annualized cost savings. This trend is likely to have continued in the second quarter and aided bottom-line performance. However, geopolitical woes and macro risks may dent results.
What Our Model Says About ARCB
Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for ArcBest this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. This is not the case here.
You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
ARCB has an Earnings ESP of -0.33% and a Zacks Rank #1.
Highlights of ARCB’s Q1 Earnings
ArcBest reported impressive first-quarter 2026 results, wherein both earnings and revenues beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Quarterly earnings per share (excluding 37 cents from non-recurring items) of 32 cents beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 27 cents but declined 37.3% year over year.
Revenues of $998.8 million marginally outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate and grew 3.3% year over year. Operating cash flow during the quarter was $8.5 million. The company returned more than $10 million through a combination of share repurchases ($7.4 million) and dividends ($2.7 million) in the March quarter. It exited the quarter with cash & short-term investments of $86.4 million.
Stocks to Consider
Investors may consider the following players from the same sector, as these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this reporting cycle.
Allegiant Travel ALGT has an Earnings ESP of +34.29% and a Zacks Rank #2. Impressive air travel demand is expected to aid the carrier’s second-quarter results. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Allegiant is scheduled to report results on Aug. 4. ALGT’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters (missing the mark once). The average beat is 21.9%.
United Parcel Service's UPS second-quarter results are likely to reflect its focus on improving profitability over sheer volume. Under the cost-cutting initiatives, UPS has substantially reduced its U.S. operational workforce and closed daily operations at multiple leased and owned buildings. Moreover, UPS has been focusing on increasing automation in sorting and operations, and leveraging AI for logistics planning to boost efficiency.
UPS is scheduled to release second-quarter results on July 28. The company's earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the last four quarters (missing the mark once), with the average beat being 10.6%. The company has an Earnings ESP of +1.06% and a Zacks Rank of 3.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).