Landstar (LSTR) Up 5.1% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Continue?

A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Landstar System (LSTR). Shares have added about 5.1% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.

But investors have to be wondering, will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Landstar due for a pullback? Well, first let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent drivers for Landstar System, Inc. before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late.

Landstar Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates

Landstar's fourth-quarter 2025 earnings per share of $1.24 surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.19 and fell 5.3% year over year. Revenues of $1.17 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.18 billion and declined 2.9% year over year.

Operating income fell 48.8% from the prior-year quarter’s figure to $29.52 million. Total costs and expenses (on a reported basis) fell 0.6% to $1.14 billion.

LSTR’s Q4 Segmental Details

Total revenues in the truck transportation segment — contributing to 91.8% of the top line — amounted to $1.07 billion, down 0.2% from the year-ago quarter’s figure. The reported figure was in line with our expectations of $1.07 billion.

Rail intermodal revenues of $23.98 million rose 30.7% from the figure recorded in second-quarter 2024. The reported figure was above our expectations of $17.7 million.

Revenues in the ocean and air-cargo carrier segments fell 40.1% year over year to $52.73 million. The reported figure was below our expectations of $89.9 million.

Other revenues decreased 11.4% to $19.48 million. The reported figure was above our expectations of $16.8 million.

Liquidity, Dividends & Buyback

At the end of fourth-quarter 2025, Landstar had cash and cash equivalents of $396.69 million compared with $375.19 million recorded at the prior-quarter end. Additionally, long-term debt (excluding current maturities) totaled $48.48 million at the end of the third quarter compared with $47.70 million at the prior-quarter end.

During the fourth quarter of 2025, Landstar purchased 286,695 shares for $37 million. LSTR is currently authorized to purchase up to an additional 1,266,118 shares under its longstanding share purchase program.  

Landstar’s board of directorsalsoannounced a quarterly cash dividend of 40 cents per share payable on Mar. 11, 2026, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on Feb. 18, 2026.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?

In the past month, investors have witnessed a downward trend in estimates review.

VGM Scores

Currently, Landstar has a nice Growth Score of B, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with an F. However, the stock has a score of C on the value side, putting it in the middle 20% for value investors.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of C. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

Outlook

Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Notably, Landstar has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.

Performance of an Industry Player

Landstar is part of the Zacks Transportation - Truck industry. Over the past month, Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX), a stock from the same industry, has gained 10.5%. The company reported its results for the quarter ended December 2025 more than a month ago.

Knight-Swift reported revenues of $1.86 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of -0.4%. EPS of $0.31 for the same period compares with $0.36 a year ago.

Knight-Swift is expected to post earnings of $0.29 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +3.6%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +0.3%.

Knight-Swift has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) based on the overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions. Additionally, the stock has a VGM Score of B.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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