Zacks Research Analysts Cut Earnings Estimates for KNX

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. (NYSE:KNX) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research cut their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for shares of Knight-Swift Transportation in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, February 4th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the transportation company will post earnings per share of $0.30 for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $0.35. Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Knight-Swift Transportation’s current full-year earnings is $2.13 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Knight-Swift Transportation’s Q3 2026 earnings at $0.52 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.60 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $1.89 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.47 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.70 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.94 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.93 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $3.04 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $4.32 EPS.

Knight-Swift Transportation (NYSE:KNX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 21st. The transportation company reported $0.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36 by ($0.05). Knight-Swift Transportation had a net margin of 0.88% and a return on equity of 2.88%. The company had revenue of $1.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.90 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.36 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. Knight-Swift Transportation has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.280-0.320 EPS.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Raymond James Financial raised their target price on shares of Knight-Swift Transportation from $55.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. Susquehanna boosted their target price on shares of Knight-Swift Transportation from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Knight-Swift Transportation from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Benchmark lifted their price target on Knight-Swift Transportation from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on Knight-Swift Transportation from $51.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $60.00.

Knight-Swift Transportation Price Performance

Shares of Knight-Swift Transportation stock opened at $59.16 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. Knight-Swift Transportation has a 12 month low of $36.69 and a 12 month high of $61.28. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $54.24 and a 200 day moving average of $47.09. The firm has a market cap of $9.60 billion, a PE ratio of 144.31, a PEG ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.15.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Knight-Swift Transportation

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Knight-Swift Transportation in the third quarter worth $830,000. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. increased its position in shares of Knight-Swift Transportation by 5.8% in the 3rd quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 701,856 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $27,730,000 after acquiring an additional 38,474 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its stake in Knight-Swift Transportation by 21.3% in the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 4,361,230 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $169,826,000 after acquiring an additional 765,833 shares during the last quarter. Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new stake in Knight-Swift Transportation during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,232,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new stake in Knight-Swift Transportation during the 3rd quarter valued at about $940,000. 88.77% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Knight-Swift Transportation

In other Knight-Swift Transportation news, COO James L. Fitzsimmons sold 5,917 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.77, for a total value of $324,074.09. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 8,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $477,375.32. The trade was a 40.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Kevin P. Knight sold 35,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.01, for a total transaction of $1,785,350.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 1,405,347 shares in the company, valued at $71,686,750.47. This represents a 2.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 46,852 shares of company stock worth $2,426,770. Corporate insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Knight-Swift Transportation

Here are the key news stories impacting Knight-Swift Transportation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Coverage note argues the company’s soft reported quarter contains offsets that make the results less negative than headline numbers imply — this can limit downside if investors focus on underlying volume/cost trends. Knight‑Swift Transportation Holdings’ Soft Earnings Are Actually Better Than They Appear
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks’ published long‑range numbers still show substantial earnings ramp by FY2027–FY2028 (FY2027 $3.04, FY2028 $4.32), suggesting analysts expect recovery/growth beyond the near term — a potential upside case for longer‑horizon investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research retains a “Hold” rating on KNX while updating estimates; that reflects analyst caution rather than an outright bearish revision and may temper trading volatility.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut multiple near‑term EPS estimates across Q1–Q4 2026 and Q1–Q4 2027 (Q1 2026 to $0.30; FY2026 to $1.89; FY2027 to $3.04 from $3.42), signaling weaker expected near‑term profitability and creating downward pressure on shares.
• Negative Sentiment: COO James L. Fitzsimmons sold 5,917 shares (~40% reduction in his holdings) at ~ $54.77; the SEC filing is available. Significant insider selling can be read negatively by the market. SEC filing — Fitzsimmons sale
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Michael K. Liu sold 1,243 shares at about $60.87; another disclosed executive sale that may amplify negative sentiment among short‑term traders. SEC filing — Liu sale

About Knight-Swift Transportation

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc (NYSE: KNX) is one of North America’s largest asset-based truckload carriers, offering a wide range of transportation and logistics services. The company was formed in 2017 through the merger of Knight Transportation and Swift Transportation, each with decades of experience in long-haul dry van and refrigerated freight. Since the merger, Knight-Swift has pursued a growth strategy that includes fleet expansions, targeted acquisitions, and investments in technology to enhance service reliability and network efficiency.

The company’s core business activities include full truckload operations for dry van, temperature-controlled and flatbed shipments.