ArcBest (NASDAQ:ARCB) Price Target Raised to $130.00 at Wells Fargo & Company

Key Points

• Wells Fargo bumped its price target on ArcBest from $85 to $130 but kept an "equal weight" rating, implying only about a 1.36% upside from the then-current share price.
• Multiple brokers raised targets (e.g., Truist to $145, Stifel to $134, Jefferies to $110), yet the consensus remains a "Hold" with six Buys and eight Holds and a consensus price target of $113.50.
• ArcBest beat Q1 estimates on EPS ($0.32 vs. $0.27) and revenue (~$998.8M vs. ~$989M) and expects a 400–500 bps sequential operating-ratio improvement tied to the May launch of ArcBest View, but it reported a GAAP net loss of $1.0M and freight-margin pressure is a key near-term risk.

ArcBest (NASDAQ:ARCB - Get Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $85.00 to $130.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an "equal weight" rating on the transportation company's stock. Wells Fargo & Company's price objective points to a potential upside of 1.36% from the stock's current price.

Several other brokerages have also recently weighed in on ARCB. Zacks Research raised ArcBest from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of ArcBest in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on ArcBest from $95.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Truist Financial upped their target price on ArcBest from $95.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on ArcBest from $116.00 to $134.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $113.50.

ArcBest Trading Up 0.4%

NASDAQ ARCB traded up $0.50 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $128.26. 110,160 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 345,844. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $102.29 and a 200 day moving average price of $87.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. ArcBest has a 52 week low of $55.19 and a 52 week high of $135.10. The stock has a market cap of $2.86 billion, a PE ratio of 49.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.42.

ArcBest (NASDAQ:ARCB - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.27 by $0.05. ArcBest had a return on equity of 6.51% and a net margin of 1.50%.The company had revenue of $998.79 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $989.27 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.51 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that ArcBest will post 4.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of ArcBest

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in ArcBest during the first quarter worth $215,000. Strs Ohio lifted its holdings in ArcBest by 38.9% during the first quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 10,000 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $984,000 after buying an additional 2,800 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC lifted its holdings in ArcBest by 281.2% during the first quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 23,903 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $2,351,000 after buying an additional 17,633 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA lifted its holdings in ArcBest by 17.4% during the first quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 4,367 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $430,000 after buying an additional 648 shares during the period. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new stake in ArcBest during the first quarter worth $974,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.27% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting ArcBest

Here are the key news stories impacting ArcBest this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Stifel Nicolaus raised its price target to $134 and kept a "buy" rating, increasing analyst confidence in ArcBest’s outlook and providing upward support for the stock. Stifel price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: ArcBest reported Q1 results that beat consensus on EPS (non-GAAP EPS $0.32 vs. $0.27 expected) and revenue (~$998.8M vs. ~$989M consensus), which traders view as evidence the business is stabilizing revenue growth. Q1 press release
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects sequential operating-ratio (OR) improvement of roughly 400–500 basis points in Q2 tied to the May launch of its ArcBest View product — a near-term operational catalyst if execution drives margin recovery. ArcBest OR improvement / ArcBest View
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate governance item: shareholders will vote on reincorporating ArcBest to Texas — a structural change with limited immediate operational impact but worth monitoring for legal/tax implications. Reincorporation vote
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks, Seeking Alpha and other outlets provide metric-by-metric comparisons to Street estimates and the slide deck/transcript is available for investors who want detail on volume trends and segment performance. Use those to assess sustainability of the beat. Zacks Q1 metrics vs. estimates
• Negative Sentiment: On a GAAP basis ArcBest reported a $1.0M net loss (loss of $0.05/share) versus prior-year profit; analysts and investors remain cautious because freight-margin pressure and cost dynamics trimmed profits despite revenue growth. GAAP net loss report
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage noted freight pricing and margin pressure as the key near-term risk that could limit upside if execution on ArcBest View or pricing improvements slips. Monitor upcoming monthly trends and Q2 OR commentary. Freight margin pressure coverage

ArcBest Company Profile

ArcBest Corporation NASDAQ: ARCB is a transportation and logistics company that offers comprehensive freight and supply chain solutions across North America. Founded in 1923 as Arkansas Best Freight System, the company has evolved into a diversified service provider with both asset-based and asset-light operations. Its core businesses include less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping through ABF Freight, expedited full-truckload services via Panther Premium Logistics, and a range of logistics and supply chain management services under its ArcBest Integrated Logistics division.

The company's asset-based operations also encompass FleetNet America, a provider of emergency roadside assistance and maintenance services for heavy-duty vehicles.

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