Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) Shares Gap Down on Disappointing Earnings

Saia, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAIA)’s stock price gapped down before the market opened on Tuesday after the company announced weaker than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $409.60, but opened at $389.60. Saia shares last traded at $375.8450, with a volume of 257,680 shares.

The transportation company reported $1.77 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.90 by ($0.13). The business had revenue of $789.95 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $773.82 million. Saia had a return on equity of 11.32% and a net margin of 8.77%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.84 EPS.

Saia News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Saia this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management reiterated that network expansion and recent capital investments should drive scale benefits and targeted operating-ratio improvement of 100–200 basis points, signalling potential margin recovery over time. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue roughly matched/beat consensus — Q4 revenue was ~$790M (up 0.1% y/y) and slightly above some estimates — indicating demand stability even as volumes showed modest declines. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Capital spending and network build remain high but are being scaled back from 2024 levels; 2026 capex guidance is ~$350M–$400M, which supports the long-term network thesis but weighs on near-term cash flow. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings miss and profit decline: Q4 diluted EPS was $1.77 vs. a ~$1.90 consensus, and full-year EPS fell to $9.52 from $13.51 in 2024 — a notable drop in profitability. Operating income fell ~36.9% in Q4 and the operating ratio widened to 91.9% (from 87.1%), pressuring margins. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Management cited ~ $4.7M of elevated self‑insurance costs tied to prior-year accidents that impacted the quarter, highlighting expense volatility in claims/insurance. This contributed to the weaker operating income and higher operating ratio. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrade amplified the sell pressure: Morgan Stanley cut SAIA from Equal Weight to Underweight with a $250 price target (well below recent levels), which likely accelerated intraday selling and raised investor concern about near-term downside. Read More.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on SAIA. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Saia from $350.00 to $380.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Saia from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Evercore downgraded shares of Saia from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Saia from $349.00 to $365.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $262.00 price objective on shares of Saia in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $352.55.

Insider Buying and Selling at Saia

In other news, VP Raymond R. Ramu sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $266.57, for a total value of $266,570.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 4,902 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,306,726.14. This trade represents a 16.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Donna E. Epps bought 422 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were bought at an average price of $277.60 per share, for a total transaction of $117,147.20. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 1,852 shares in the company, valued at approximately $514,115.20. This trade represents a 29.51% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Saia

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in SAIA. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its holdings in Saia by 177.5% during the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 111 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in Saia in the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in Saia in the 4th quarter valued at about $40,000. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new position in Saia in the 2nd quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in shares of Saia by 69.0% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 142 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares in the last quarter.

Saia Stock Down 6.8%

The company has a market capitalization of $10.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.04 and a beta of 2.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $349.78 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $314.82.

About Saia

Saia, Inc is a publicly traded transportation company specializing in less-than-truckload (LTL) freight services across North America. Headquartered in Johns Creek, Georgia, the company focuses on the efficient movement of time-sensitive freight for a diverse customer base that spans retail, manufacturing, automotive, and healthcare industries. By leveraging a network of terminals and service centers, Saia provides tailored solutions designed to optimize supply chain performance.

The company’s core offerings include regional, interregional, and national LTL shipping, supported by volumetric LTL and port intermodal services.