Saia (SAIA) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: $7.97B
• Dividend Yield: N/A
• Average Volume (3M): 658.50K
• Price to Earnings (P/E): 27.7
• Beta (1Y): 1.27
• Revenue Growth: 4.23%
• EPS Growth: -23.94%
• Country: US
• Employees: 15,300
• Sector: Industrials
• Sector Strength: 78
• Industry: Trucking
• EPS (TTM): 2.67
• Shares Outstanding: 26,636,045
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 496,965
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 658,501
• PEG Ratio: 18.65
• Price to Book (P/B): 5.26
• Price to Sales (P/S): 3.79
• P/FCF Ratio: -26.46
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: 0.97
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: 2.40
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: 13.63
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: 12.37
• 1Y Price Target: $340.75
• Price Target Upside: 15.22% Upside
• Rating Consensus: Moderate Buy
• Number of Analyst Covering: 16

• Rating: 65 Neutral
• Price Target: $318.00 ▲(7.53% Upside)

Saia's overall stock score reflects a mixed financial outlook with strong profitability but declining revenue and cash flow issues. Technical analysis and valuation suggest caution, while the earnings call highlights both operational improvements and ongoing challenges.

Positive Factors

Earnings Performance

SAIA reported earnings per share that exceeded forecasts, indicating strong performance.

Operational Efficiency

Saia's OR improved 330 bps sequentially, outperforming the historical average and expectations.

Negative Factors

Guidance Concerns

3Q OR deterioration guidance was confusing and worse than estimated.

Volume Growth Challenges

Saia's volume growth is slowing due to a challenging freight environment and tough comparisons to previous years.

Saia Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Saia, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a transportation company in North America. The company provides less-than-truckload services for shipments between 400 and 10,000 pounds; and other value-added services, including non-asset truckload, expedited, and logistics services. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 176 owned and leased facilities; and owned approximately 5,600 tractors and 19,300 trailers. The company was formerly known as SCS Transportation, Inc. and changed its name to Saia, Inc. in July 2006. Saia, Inc. was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Johns Creek, Georgia.

How the Company Makes Money

Saia generates revenue primarily through its LTL freight services, which account for a significant portion of its earnings. The company charges customers based on weight, distance, and service type, providing tailored solutions for shipping needs. In addition to LTL shipping, Saia also earns revenue from truckload services and logistics solutions, catering to customers with larger freight requirements. The company has established partnerships with various businesses and e-commerce platforms, enhancing its market reach and service offerings. Furthermore, Saia's focus on operational efficiency and strategic investments in technology and infrastructure contributes to cost management and improved profitability.

Saia Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Saia demonstrates strong financial performance with healthy revenue and profit margins, solid return on equity, and a stable capital structure. However, negative free cash flow poses potential liquidity challenges.

Income Statement

Saia's income statement shows strong financial performance with a consistent growth trajectory. The TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) gross profit margin stands at approximately 36.3%, indicating efficient cost management. The net profit margin is healthy at 9.9%, demonstrating profitability. Revenue growth rate from 2023 to 2024 is robust at 11.4%, and the EBIT margin is solid at 13.4%. While the EBITDA margin is strong at 20.2%, the slight decrease in EBIT from 2024 to TTM suggests some operational challenges.

Balance Sheet

Saia's balance sheet reflects financial stability with a low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05 in TTM, demonstrating conservative leverage. The return on equity (ROE) is impressive at 13.6%, indicating efficient use of equity capital. The equity ratio is robust at 70.2%, showing a strong capital structure. However, the decline in cash and short-term investments over the period could pose liquidity risks.

Cash Flow

The cash flow statement reveals a mixed picture. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is excellent at 1.83, indicating strong cash generation. However, the free cash flow has turned negative in TTM, primarily due to high capital expenditures, which may pressure future liquidity. The free cash flow to net income ratio is concerning at -0.0003, suggesting a need for improved cash flow management.

Breakdown	TTM	Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021	Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue	3.24B	3.21B	2.88B	2.79B	2.29B	1.82B
Gross Profit	569.51M	644.41M	598.93M	590.96M	451.69M	283.85M
EBITDA	627.92M	695.04M	647.61M	627.74M	472.95M	312.45M
Net Income	290.05M	362.06M	354.86M	357.42M	253.24M	138.34M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	3.46B	3.17B	2.58B	2.17B	1.85B	1.55B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	18.84M	19.47M	296.21M	187.39M	106.59M	25.31M
Total Debt	444.34M	324.46M	138.71M	154.51M	160.38M	186.51M
Total Liabilities	1.02B	855.59M	642.07M	595.37M	624.92M	587.49M
Stockholders Equity	2.44B	2.31B	1.94B	1.58B	1.22B	961.29M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	-112.90M	-459.86M	138.07M	105.60M	96.85M	78.00M
Operating Cash Flow	626.27M	583.70M	577.95M	473.03M	382.59M	309.14M
Investing Cash Flow	-743.55M	-1.04B	-448.70M	-365.51M	-277.85M	-218.82M
Financing Cash Flow	124.95M	175.42M	-20.42M	-26.71M	-23.46M	-65.27M

Saia Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Negative
• Last Price: 295.74
• 50DMA: Positive
• 100DMA: Positive
• 200DMA: Negative
• MACD: Positive
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For SAIA, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 295.74 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 302.81, above the 50-day MA of 287.78, and below the 200-day MA of 383.87, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of 1.66 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 49.40 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 56.19 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for SAIA.

Saia Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
Sector *	71 Outperform	¥267.71B	14.94	8.32%	2.77%	6.08%	11.04%
SNDR	71 Outperform	$4.29B	34.33	4.20%	1.55%	2.20%	7.86%
ARCB	67 Neutral	$1.62B	10.62	12.50%	0.67%	-6.42%	25.72%
ODFL	67 Neutral	$31.76B	29.52	26.25%	0.71%	-5.54%	-12.26%
KNX	66 Neutral	$6.90B	41.87	2.33%	1.60%	-2.54%	144.49%
SAIA	65 Neutral	$7.97B	27.66	12.69%	―	4.23%	-23.94%
WERN	62 Neutral	$1.68B	32.70	3.65%	2.01%	-6.43%	-13.76%

Saia Corporate Events

Saia Reports Q2 2025 Earnings with Revenue Decline

Saia, Inc. reported its second quarter 2025 earnings, highlighting a slight year-over-year revenue decline of 0.7% to $817 million, attributed to muted volume trends due to macroeconomic conditions. Despite this, the company achieved a sequential operating ratio improvement, driven by cost optimization and network efficiency efforts. Saia’s newer markets showed strong customer acceptance, with terminals opened less than three years ago seeing a 4% improvement in shipments per workday. The company’s focus on customer service and operational efficiency resulted in a 4% sequential decrease in cost per shipment, despite headwinds from increased depreciation expenses. Saia continues to adapt to changing market conditions while executing its long-term strategy.

Saia Reports Mixed May 2025 Shipment Data

On June 5, 2025, Saia, Inc. released its shipment and tonnage data for April and May 2025, revealing a mixed performance in its LTL operations. In April, LTL shipments per workday decreased by 1.9%, while tonnage increased by 4.4%, and weight per shipment rose by 6.5%. In May, shipments declined by 3.2%, tonnage slightly decreased by 0.4%, and weight per shipment increased by 3.0%. These figures suggest fluctuations in demand and operational efficiency, impacting Saia’s market positioning and stakeholder interests.