Werner Enterprises (WERN)
NASDAQ:WERN
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Werner Enterprises
(NASDAQ:WERN)
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Rating:54Neutral
Price Target:
$35.00
▲(7.43% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:04/29/26
The score is held back primarily by weak financial performance—material profitability deterioration and persistently negative free cash flow—despite a still-acceptable balance sheet. Technicals are supportive with an above-average uptrend, and the latest earnings call improved sentiment via reaffirmed guidance, integration/synergy progress, and stronger near-term cash generation, but low margins and higher leverage remain key risks.
Positive Factors
Acquisitive scale expansion (First Fleet)
The First Fleet acquisition materially increases scale and dedicated capacity, adding ~$615M revenue and 2,400 tractors. Identified $18M annual synergies (with most run‑rate by year‑end) should be durably accretive to earnings and cash flow as integration progresses and fixed costs are absorbed.
Negative Factors
Material margin compression and 2025 net loss
Margins have deteriorated sharply from prior peaks (gross margin ~17–19% to ~5.8%), culminating in a 2025 net loss. This reflects structural pricing pressure and cost inflation that impair the firm's ability to generate sustainable profits and weakens internal funding for reinvestment absent margin recovery.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Acquisitive scale expansion (First Fleet)
The First Fleet acquisition materially increases scale and dedicated capacity, adding ~$615M revenue and 2,400 tractors. Identified $18M annual synergies (with most run‑rate by year‑end) should be durably accretive to earnings and cash flow as integration progresses and fixed costs are absorbed.
Read all positive factors
Werner Enterprises (WERN) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$2.15B
Dividend Yield1.84%
Average Volume (3M)1.09M
Price to Earnings (P/E)―
Beta (1Y)0.93
Revenue Growth3.28%
EPS GrowthN/A
CountryUS
Employees13,000
SectorIndustrials
Sector Strength72
IndustryTrucking
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)0.02
Shares Outstanding59,950,115
10 Day Avg. Volume1,574,393
30 Day Avg. Volume1,085,293
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio0.88
Price to Book (P/B)1.33
Price to Sales (P/S)0.61
P/FCF Ratio-26.54
Enterprise Value/Market Cap1.06
Enterprise Value/Revenue0.77
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit7.95
Enterprise Value/Ebitda7.52
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$37.69Price Target Upside15.69% Upside
Rating ConsensusHold
Number of Analyst Covering13
EPS Forecast (FY)0.8
Revenue Forecast (FY)$3.58B
Werner Enterprises Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Werner Enterprises, Inc., a transportation and logistics company, engages in transporting truckload shipments of general commodities in interstate and intrastate commerce in the United States, Mexico, and internationally. It operates through Truck...
How the Company Makes Money
Werner makes money primarily by charging customers for moving freight and managing freight on their behalf. Its revenue model is generally split between (1) asset-based truckload transportation and (2) logistics services. In asset-based truckload,...
Werner Enterprises Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Apr 28, 2026
(Q1-2026)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Aug 05, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
Overall the call presented a constructive picture: meaningful top-line growth (revenues +14%), strong TTS performance (+18% revenue) and substantial early wins from the FirstFleet acquisition (high customer retention, realized synergies) alongside sharp safety improvements and materially stronger cash flow. Offsetting items include still-pressed consolidated margins (adjusted margin 1.5%), temporary Logistics margin compression, higher debt from the acquisition, and inflation/driver availability headwinds. Management provided concrete operational progress (restructuring benefits, technology/AI rollout, cost savings) and reiterated guidance for fleet growth and improving pricing through bid season, supporting a positive outlook as market fundamentals tighten.Positive Updates
Revenue Growth
Total Q1 revenues of $809 million, up 14% year-over-year, driven by strength in Truckload Transportation Services (TTS) and Dedicated expansion.
Negative Updates
Low Consolidated Margins and EPS Impact
Consolidated adjusted operating income $11.9 million and adjusted operating margin 1.5%; adjusted EPS $0.02. Adverse weather and rapidly rising fuel in March negatively impacted EPS by approximately $0.05.
Read all updates
Q1-2026 Updates
Positive
Negative
Revenue Growth
Total Q1 revenues of $809 million, up 14% year-over-year, driven by strength in Truckload Transportation Services (TTS) and Dedicated expansion.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
Werner reaffirmed 2026 guidance and provided updated assumptions: full‑year average truck fleet growth of +23% to +28% (including FirstFleet), net CapEx of $185–225 million, and Dedicated revenue per truck per week guidance revised to flat to +3% (Q1 +0.8% y/y; ~3% pro forma); One‑Way truckload revenue per total mile is guided +1% to +4% for Q2, full‑year effective tax rate is 25.5%–26.5% (Q1 was 24.9%), net interest expense is expected to be $40–45 million, and gains on sale of used equipment are forecast at $8–18 million. Management expects to realize $6 million of synergies this year (>$5M implemented, >$1M realized) and the full $18M of cost synergies by mid‑next year; quarter‑end liquidity was $513 million (cash $62M, $451M available), debt $932M, and covenant‑defined pro forma net leverage ~2x.Werner Enterprises Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
34
Negative
Balance Sheet
60
Neutral
Cash Flow
41
Neutral
| Breakdown | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | |||||
| Total Revenue | 2.97B | 3.03B | 3.28B | 3.29B | 2.73B |
| Gross Profit | 172.42M | 338.63M | 423.65M | 521.59M | 477.93M |
| EBITDA | 304.58M | 372.10M | 480.82M | 616.54M | 618.14M |
| Net Income | -14.40M | 34.23M | 112.38M | 241.26M | 259.05M |
Balance Sheet | |||||
| Total Assets | 2.89B | 3.05B | 3.16B | 3.18B | 2.68B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 59.92M | 40.75M | 61.72M | 107.24M | 54.20M |
| Total Debt | 752.00M | 701.76M | 685.26M | 736.04M | 456.51M |
| Total Liabilities | 1.50B | 1.56B | 1.59B | 1.70B | 1.32B |
| Stockholders Equity | 1.36B | 1.46B | 1.53B | 1.44B | 1.33B |
Cash Flow | |||||
| Free Cash Flow | -68.53M | -84.06M | -124.42M | -58.54M | -38.03M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 181.83M | 329.73M | 474.37M | 448.71M | 332.82M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -171.57M | -241.45M | -434.94M | -514.33M | -397.30M |
| Financing Cash Flow | 7.30M | -105.72M | -87.07M | 118.03M | 89.67M |
Werner Enterprises Technical Analysis
Positive
32.58
Price Trends
31.46
Positive
31.19
Positive
29.14
Positive
Market Momentum
0.47
Negative
61.72
Neutral
67.11
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For WERN, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 32.58 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 30.20, above the 50-day MA of 31.46, and above the 200-day MA of 29.14, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.47 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 61.72 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 67.11 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for WERN.
Werner Enterprises Risk Analysis
Werner Enterprises disclosed 16 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Werner Enterprises reported the most risks in the "Production" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks
Werner Enterprises Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (63)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
63 Neutral | $10.79B | 15.43 | 7.44% | 2.01% | 2.89% | -14.66% | |
61 Neutral | $5.52B | 56.56 | 3.44% | 1.40% | 5.54% | -21.38% | |
60 Neutral | $2.81B | -529.70 | 4.30% | 0.62% | -1.65% | -67.84% | |
58 Neutral | $590.24M | -40.29 | -16.52% | 2.76% | -11.11% | -231.01% | |
56 Neutral | $1.24B | 193.61 | 1.89% | 2.07% | -7.81% | -33.01% | |
55 Neutral | $1.04B | -41.77 | -5.66% | 0.87% | -23.49% | -54.25% | |
54 Neutral | $2.15B | -103.41 | -0.62% | 1.84% | 3.28% | ― |
* Industrials Sector Average
WERN
Werner Enterprises
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10.70
42.44%
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SNDR
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40.62%
Werner Enterprises Corporate Events
Executive/Board Changes
Werner Enterprises Updates Executive Compensation and Incentive Plans
Neutral
Feb 18, 2026
On February 12, 2026, Werner Enterprises’ board compensation committee approved new base salaries and long-term equity awards for its named executive officers, with salary changes effective February 13, 2026. The package includes restricted ...
Business Operations and Strategy
Werner Enterprises to Present at Multiple February Conferences
Positive
Jan 29, 2026
On January 29, 2026, Werner Enterprises announced it will participate in three Miami-based investment conferences in February 2026: the Stifel 2026 Transportation and Logistics Conference on February 10, Citi’s 2026 Global Industrial Tech an...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.