greeksoup/ stock research

Forward Air Corp.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 9 November 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Operating income almost tripled: Operating income reached $43.9 million, up 192.5% from $15.0 million in the year-earlier quarter. Source
  • Consolidated EBITDA up 30.7%: Consolidated EBITDA, a measure defined in the Term Loan Credit Agreement, was $101.5 million against $77.7 million. Last-twelve-month Consolidated EBITDA was $342 million. Source
  • Expedited Freight profit nearly doubled: Management said Expedited Freight reached its highest operating revenue, operating income and Reported EBITDA in nearly three years. Source
  • Expedited pounds up 15.6%: Expedited Freight pounds rose 15.6% to 707,893, while shipments rose 8.0% to 787 and weight per shipment rose 6.9%. Source
  • Operating margin widened 410 basis points: Operating margin was 6.5% against 2.4% a year earlier, a change of 410 basis points. Source
  • Liquidity rose to $446 million: Liquidity was $446 million at quarter end, a sequential increase of $45 million from the second quarter. Source

“We are pleased to deliver another quarter of very solid results,”

Shawn Stewart, President and Chief Executive Officer

What changed from last quarter

  • Ended: The cash flow statement shows net proceeds from sales of businesses and gains on those sales in the quarter and the nine months. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue up 6.7% year over year: Operating revenues rose to $673.9 million from $631.8 million a year earlier. The prior release reported $673.0 million for the second quarter. Source
  • Operating income almost tripled: Operating income reached $43.9 million, up 192.5% from $15.0 million in the year-earlier quarter. Source
  • Diluted EPS turned positive: Income from continuing operations was $9.1 million, or $0.34 per diluted share, against a loss of $0.52 per diluted share a year earlier. Source
  • Consolidated EBITDA up 30.7%: Consolidated EBITDA, a measure defined in the Term Loan Credit Agreement, was $101.5 million against $77.7 million. Last-twelve-month Consolidated EBITDA was $342 million. Source
  • Nine-month adjusted operating income: The nine-month operating loss of $137.0 million included a $244.0 million goodwill impairment. Excluding that charge, adjusted operating income was $107.0 million against $39.3 million. Source

Segment results

  • Expedited Freight profit nearly doubled: Management said Expedited Freight reached its highest operating revenue, operating income and Reported EBITDA in nearly three years. Source
  • Omni operating income up 25.2%: Omni Logistics operating income rose 25.2% to $12.2 million, a 3.9% margin against 2.9% a year earlier. Source
  • Intermodal operating income up 26.4%: Intermodal operating income rose 26.4% to $5.2 million, an 8.2% margin against 7.0%. Segment revenue was $63.5 million, up 8.8%. Source

“We believe the work that has been done and the resulting foundation that has been established over the past few years has positioned the company to take advantage of current market conditions.”

Shawn Stewart, President and Chief Executive Officer

Products and customers

  • Expedited pounds up 15.6%: Expedited Freight pounds rose 15.6% to 707,893, while shipments rose 8.0% to 787 and weight per shipment rose 6.9%. Source
  • Truckload revenue up 59.3%: Truckload revenue rose 59.3% to $67.5 million, making up 20.0% of Expedited Freight revenue against 16.4% a year earlier. Source
  • Omni ground down, contract and air up: Omni Ground revenue fell 35.6% to $106.0 million, while Contract Logistics rose 12.3% to $109.4 million and Air and Ocean rose 24.9% to $96.8 million. Source
  • Omni demand rising in two areas: Management said Omni continues to see higher demand for contract logistics and air and ocean services, and reported its highest Reported EBITDA margin since the beginning of 2024. Source
  • Drayage per shipment rose: Management said higher drayage per shipment contributed to Intermodal's highest revenue in more than three years. Drayage revenue per shipment rose 14.1% to $986. Source

Costs

  • Expedited purchased transportation rose 43.3%: Expedited Freight purchased transportation rose to $179.5 million, 53.2% of segment revenue against 48.4%. Consolidated purchased transportation rose to $343.6 million from $316.4 million. Source
  • Salaries and benefits fell: Consolidated salaries, wages and employee benefits fell to $123.0 million from $131.9 million. The nine-month figure was $368.6 million against $419.3 million. Source
  • Fuel and insurance costs rose: Fuel expense rose to $6.3 million from $5.0 million, and insurance and claims rose to $13.3 million from $12.7 million. Source

“We are encouraged by the progress, while also recognizing that there is always more work to be done to maintain momentum.”

Shawn Stewart, President and Chief Executive Officer

Margins and pricing

  • Operating margin widened 410 basis points: Operating margin was 6.5% against 2.4% a year earlier, a change of 410 basis points. Source
  • Expedited revenue per hundredweight ex fuel fell: Revenue per hundredweight excluding fuel fell 2.6% to $24.34, while revenue per hundredweight including fuel rose 7.8% to $34.18. Source
  • Revenue per shipment ex fuel rose: Revenue per shipment excluding fuel rose 4.3% to $219.01, and including fuel rose 15.4% to $307.51. Source

Cash, liquidity and capital

  • Operating cash flow declined: Net cash provided by operating activities was $35.3 million against $52.7 million, down 33.0%. Nine-month operating cash flow was $76.2 million against $67.1 million. Source
  • Free cash flow declined in quarter: Free cash flow was $33.3 million against $48.9 million in the year-earlier quarter. Nine-month free cash flow was $66.6 million against $48.1 million. Source
  • Liquidity rose to $446 million: Liquidity was $446 million at quarter end, a sequential increase of $45 million from the second quarter. Source
  • Net leverage lowest since early 2024: Management said net leverage was the lowest since the first quarter of 2024. Source
  • Capital expenditures fell: Purchases of property and equipment were $3.1 million against $4.1 million, and $13.2 million for nine months against $20.8 million. Source

Balance sheet and goodwill

  • Goodwill fell to $278.7 million: Goodwill was $278.7 million, down from $522.7 million at December 31, 2025. Other intangible assets, net, were $836.8 million, from $906.8 million. Source
  • Total shareholders' deficit reported: Total shareholders' deficit was $108.9 million, against equity of $161.7 million at year end. Forward Air shareholders' deficit was $99.7 million. Source
  • Long-term debt and TRA liability: Long-term debt was $1,696.5 million against $1,687.2 million at year end. The Tax Receivable Agreement liability rose to $26.8 million from $11.5 million. Source

Portfolio changes and integration costs

  • Business sales produced gains: Gains on sales of businesses were $7.0 million in the quarter and $10.6 million for nine months. Net proceeds from sales of businesses were $16.2 million in the quarter. Source
  • Transaction and integration costs fell: Transaction and integration costs were $3.7 million against $5.9 million. Nine-month costs were $11.2 million against $25.8 million. Source
  • Severance costs declined: Severance costs were $1.1 million against $2.8 million a year earlier. Nine-month severance costs were $2.7 million against $5.2 million. Source

Coming up, as management said on 9 November 2026

  • Focus on service and reliability: Management said it intends to stay focused on best-in-class service and on reliable, dependable solutions for customers. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total pounds, Expedited Freight Source707,893, up 15.6%
Total shipments, Expedited Freight Source787, up 8.0%
Revenue per hundredweight Source$34.18, up 7.8%
Revenue per hundredweight, ex fuel Source$24.34, down 2.6%
Revenue per shipment, ex fuel Source$219.01, up 4.3%
Fuel expense, consolidated Source$6,339 thousand, against $5,029 thousand
Drayage shipments, Intermodal Source62,028, up 1.7%

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Management said maintaining momentum requires continued work. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management said current results reflect investments it made earlier. No status against a specific plan was given. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.