As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q3. Today, we are looking at transportation and logistics stocks, starting with Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP).

The growth of e-commerce and global trade continues to drive demand for shipping services, presenting opportunities for transportation and logistics companies. The industry continues to invest in advanced technologies such as automated sorting systems and real-time tracking solutions to enhance operational efficiency. Companies that win in this space boast speed, reach, reliability, and last-mile efficiency while those who do not see their market shares diminish. Like other industrials companies, transportation and logistics companies are at the whim of economic cycles. Consumer spending, for example, can greatly impact the demand for these companies’ offerings while fuel costs influence profit margins.

The 28 transportation and logistics stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.2% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.7% below.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 3.6% on average since the latest earnings results.

Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP)

Part of the transcontinental railroad project, Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) is a freight transportation company that operates a major railroad network.

Union Pacific reported revenues of $6.24 billion, up 2.5% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a slower quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ sales volume estimates and EBITDA in line with analysts’ estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 1.8% since reporting and currently trades at $229.30.

Read our full report on Union Pacific here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Best Q3: Pangaea (NASDAQ: PANL)

Established in 1996, Pangaea Logistics (NASDAQ: PANL) specializes in global logistics and transportation services, focusing on the shipment of dry bulk cargoes.

Pangaea reported revenues of $168.7 million, up 10.2% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 5.9%. The business had an incredible quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 46.2% since reporting. It currently trades at $7.20.

Is now the time to buy Pangaea? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Weakest Q3: Genco (NYSE: GNK)

Headquartered in NYC, Genco (NYSE: GNK) is a shipping company that transports dry bulk cargo along worldwide maritime routes.

Genco reported revenues of $54.73 million, down 22.6% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 3.9%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Genco delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth in the group. Interestingly, the stock is up 12.7% since the results and currently trades at $18.89.

Read our full analysis of Genco’s results here.

CSX (NASDAQ: CSX)

Established as part of the Chessie System and Seaboard Coast Line Industries merger, CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) is a transportation company specializing in freight rail services.

CSX reported revenues of $3.59 billion, flat year on year. This result met analysts’ expectations. It was a satisfactory quarter as it also recorded a decent beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

The stock is down 4.5% since reporting and currently trades at $34.88.

Read our full, actionable report on CSX here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Saia (NASDAQ: SAIA)

Pivoting its business model after realizing there was more success in delivering produce than selling it, Saia (NASDAQ: SAIA) is a provider of freight transportation solutions.

Saia reported revenues of $839.6 million, flat year on year. This print topped analysts’ expectations by 1%. It was an exceptional quarter as it also produced a solid beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

The stock is flat since reporting and currently trades at $279.72.

Read our full, actionable report on Saia here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Market Update

Thanks to the Fed’s series of rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has cooled significantly from its post-pandemic highs, drawing closer to the 2% goal. This disinflation has occurred without severely impacting economic growth, suggesting the success of a soft landing. The stock market thrived in 2024, spurred by recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November), and a notable surge followed Donald Trump’s presidential election win in November, propelling indices to historic highs. Nonetheless, the outlook for 2025 remains clouded by potential trade policy changes and corporate tax discussions, which could impact business confidence and growth. The path forward holds both optimism and caution as new policies take shape.

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