This Freight Company Is the S&P 500’s Top Stock Today. It’s Getting a Lift From AI.

Oct 30, 2025 09:22:00 -0400 by Nate Wolf | #Transportation #Earnings Report

C.H. Robinson beat earnings expectations for the third quarter. (Dreamstime)

Key Points

C.H. Robinson Worldwide’s adjusted earnings of $1.40 a hare for the third quarter exceed Wall Street expectations.
The company increases its 2026 operating income forecast by approximately $50 million due to productivity and market share growth.
Analysts attribute improved margins to lean operations and artificial intelligence initiatives.

Shares of C.H. Robinson Worldwide rose sharply Thursday after the freight and logistics company reported earnings that beat expectations.

The company posted adjusted earnings of $1.40 a share for the third quarter, ahead of Wall Street’s call for $1.30. Improved margins drove the better-than-expected profit as revenue of $4.14 billion fell short of analysts’ consensus estimates. C.H. Robinson also increased its 2026 operating income forecast by around $50 million, citing the company’s productivity efforts and initiatives to grow market share.

C.H. Robinson stock rose 20% to $155.26, putting it on track for an all-time closing high and its largest single-day jump since 2007, according to Dow Jones Market Data. It was the top performer in the S&P 500 on Thursday.

C.H. Robinson has incorporated artificial intelligence to help boost efficiency, and that effort appears to be paying off, said analysts. Lean operations and AI initiatives are expanding margins again after years of decline, a Raymond James team said in a research note Thursday. The firm reiterated an Outperform rating on C.H. Robinson shares and boosted its target price to $161 from $158.

The company “continues to execute well on its strategic initiatives,” Christopher Kuhn of Benchmark Equity Research concurred, pointing out C.H. Robinson’s growing market share in North American surface transportation. Benchmark maintained a Buy rating and is in the process of raising its price target.

The upbeat take from Wall Street echoed CEO Dave Bozeman’s comment to Barron’s earlier this month that he sees C.H. Robinson as an undervalued AI play. “At the end of the day, there are companies like C.H. Robinson, who are benefiting from AI real-time,” Bozeman said. “You can see it in our results.”

Write to Nate Wolf at nate.wolf@barrons.com