Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. (KNX) is scheduled to report third-quarter 2026 results on Oct. 21, after market close.
Knight-Swift has an unimpressive earnings surprise history, having lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the preceding four quarters (outpaced in one of the remaining two quarters and matched the mark in another quarter), the average miss being 0.28%.
Let’s see how things have shaped up for Knight-Swift this earnings season.
Factors Likely to Have Influenced Knight-Swift’s Q3 Performance
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for KNX’sthird-quarter 2026 revenues is pegged at $2.12 billion, indicating a 10.06% uptick year over year. The top line is likely to have been aided by strength across the majority of its segments.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter Truckload revenues is pegged at $1.37 billion, indicating 10.8% growth from the year-ago reported figure and above our estimate of $1.34 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter Logistics revenues is pegged at $143 million, indicating a 2.1% uptick from the year-ago reported figure and above our estimate of $139.8 million. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter Intermodal revenues is pegged at $116 million, indicating 23.4% growth from the year-ago reported figure and slightly below our estimate of $116.9 million. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter Less-Than-Truckload revenues is pegged at $434 million, indicating 9.8% growth from the year-ago reported figure. The consensus mark lies below our estimate of $443.1 million.
On the contrary, rising operating expenses, along with ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and supply-chain disruptions, are likely to have adversely affected KNX’s performance in the September-end quarter. Driver availability remains tight and can limit seated capacity. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Knight-Swift’s third-quarter 2026 earnings has been revised downward by 1.32% in the past 60 days to 75 cents per share. However, the consensus mark implies an upside of more than 100 from the year-ago actual.
What Our Model Says About KNX
Our proven model predicts an earnings beat for Knight-Swift 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. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they're reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Knight-Swift has an Earnings ESP of +1.31% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present.
Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. Price and EPS Surprise
Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. price-eps-surprise | Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. Quote
Highlights of KNX’s Q2 Earnings
Knight-Swift reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of 63 cents per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 49 cents by 28.6% and increased 80.0% year over year. Stronger pricing and network efficiency across asset-based operations supported the improvement.
Total revenues of $2.10 billion surpassed the consensus mark of $2.01 billion by 4.3% and rose 12.6% year over year. Truckload revenue per loaded mile, excluding fuel surcharge and intersegment transactions, increased 5.5%.
Other Stocks to Consider
Here are a few stocks from the broader Zacks Transportation sector that investors may consider, as our model shows that they have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this reporting cycle.
Old Dominion Freight Line ODFL has an Earnings ESP of +0.12% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
ODFL is scheduled to report third-quarter 2026 earnings on Oct. 28. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter 2026 earnings has been revised upward by 0.63% over the past 60 days. ODFL’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the preceding four quarters, with the average beat being 6.71%.
C.H. Robinson Worldwide CHRW has an Earnings ESP of +0.46% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. CHRW is scheduled to report third-quarter 2026 earnings on Oct. 28.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter 2026 earnings has been revised upward by 1.82% to $1.68 per share over the past 60 days. CHRW’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the preceding four quarters and met the mark on the other occasion. The average beat is 8.11%.
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Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. (KNX): Free Stock Analysis Report
C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (CHRW): Free Stock Analysis Report
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).