Knight-Swift Transportation (NYSE:KNX) Price Target Raised to $78.00 at TD Cowen

Key Points

• TD Cowen raised its price target on Knight‑Swift to $78 (from $60) and kept a buy rating, implying roughly a 21.9% upside from the prior close.
• Knight‑Swift missed Q1 expectations with EPS of $0.09 (vs. ~$0.29), swung to a quarter loss, posted only 1.4% revenue growth, and cited margin pressure from a tighter truckload market and higher fuel costs.
• Analyst coverage is generally constructive (consensus Moderate Buy), but the average price target (~$63.78) is below TD Cowen’s outlook even as several firms (e.g., Barclays, Benchmark, Susquehanna) have recently lifted their targets, signaling divergent views.

Knight-Swift Transportation (NYSE:KNX - Get Free Report) had its price objective lifted by equities research analysts at TD Cowen from $60.00 to $78.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday. The firm currently has a "buy" rating on the transportation company's stock. TD Cowen's price target points to a potential upside of 21.93% from the stock's previous close.

KNX has been the topic of several other research reports. Stephens reduced their price target on shares of Knight-Swift Transportation from $65.00 to $63.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Knight-Swift Transportation from $61.00 to $63.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Evercore upgraded shares of Knight-Swift Transportation from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $65.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, March 27th. Benchmark lifted their target price on shares of Knight-Swift Transportation from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Knight-Swift Transportation from $65.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $63.78.

Knight-Swift Transportation Stock Down 1.4%

KNX stock opened at $63.97 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $10.39 billion, a PE ratio of 156.03, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 0.86. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $58.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $53.38. Knight-Swift Transportation has a one year low of $37.76 and a one year high of $66.61.

Knight-Swift Transportation (NYSE:KNX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The transportation company reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.29 by ($0.20). The firm had revenue of $1.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.85 billion. Knight-Swift Transportation had a net margin of 0.88% and a return on equity of 2.88%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.28 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Knight-Swift Transportation will post 1.95 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Knight-Swift Transportation

In other Knight-Swift Transportation news, CFO Joshua Smith sold 5,770 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.91, for a total value of $351,450.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 9,214 shares in the company, valued at $561,224.74. The trade was a 38.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, COO James L. Fitzsimmons sold 5,917 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.77, for a total transaction of $324,074.09. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 8,716 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $477,375.32. This trade represents a 40.44% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 42,930 shares of company stock worth $2,581,186. 2.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Knight-Swift Transportation

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of KNX. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of Knight-Swift Transportation by 123.9% in the first quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 544 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 301 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Knight-Swift Transportation by 134.6% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 671 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 385 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its stake in shares of Knight-Swift Transportation by 1,478.6% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 884 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 828 shares in the last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its stake in shares of Knight-Swift Transportation by 7,100.0% in the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 936 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 923 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in shares of Knight-Swift Transportation by 111.3% in the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 936 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 493 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.77% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Knight-Swift Transportation

Here are the key news stories impacting Knight-Swift Transportation this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Susquehanna raised its price target on KNX from $60 to $72, signaling upside from current levels and suggesting some analysts see recovery potential. Susquehanna Raises PT
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst consensus remains constructive — coverage summaries show a “Moderate Buy” consensus, which can support the stock as investors digest the quarter. Analyst Consensus
• Neutral Sentiment: The company filed its Q1 release and hosted a conference call/slides to discuss results; investors should review the call/slides for management commentary and any forward guidance. Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre- and post‑earnings analyst notes (Zacks) provide deeper metric checks beyond headline EPS/revenue — useful for investors assessing revenue mix, utilization and contract vs. spot exposure. Zacks Preview
• Negative Sentiment: Reported EPS was $0.09 for Q1 (company said $0.09 in multiple releases); several outlets flagged this as below many sell‑side expectations and noted the company swung to a first‑quarter loss, which is weighing on sentiment. Revenue rose only modestly (+1.4% Y/Y). Zacks Q1 Review
• Negative Sentiment: Management and coverage (WSJ) cite margin pressure from a tighter truckload market and higher fuel costs tied to geopolitical events (war in Iran), key near‑term headwinds for profitability. WSJ: Loss & Headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Underlying profitability metrics remain thin (low net margin, modest ROE) and the stock’s valuation reflects expectations; if freight demand or fuel trends worsen, downside risk could persist. Company Slides/Release

About Knight-Swift Transportation

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc NYSE: KNX is one of North America's largest asset-based truckload carriers, offering a wide range of transportation and logistics services. The company was formed in 2017 through the merger of Knight Transportation and Swift Transportation, each with decades of experience in long-haul dry van and refrigerated freight. Since the merger, Knight-Swift has pursued a growth strategy that includes fleet expansions, targeted acquisitions, and investments in technology to enhance service reliability and network efficiency.

The company's core business activities include full truckload operations for dry van, temperature-controlled and flatbed shipments.

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