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ArcBest (ARCB) Reports Q4 Earnings: What Key Metrics Have to Say

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For the quarter ended December 2023, ArcBest (ARCB - Free Report) reported revenue of $1.09 billion, down 12.4% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $2.47, compared to $2.45 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +0.80% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.08 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $2.19, the EPS surprise was +12.79%.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how ArcBest performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

  • Asset-Light - Operating Ratio (Non-GAAP): 100.3% versus the two-analyst average estimate of 100%.
  • Asset-Based - Operating Ratio (Non-GAAP): 87.7% versus 88.7% estimated by two analysts on average.
  • Revenues- Asset-Based: $709.99 million compared to the $703.65 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -0.2% year over year.
  • Revenues- Asset-Light: $413.43 million versus $400.31 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -27.8% change.
  • Revenues- Other and eliminations: -$33.88 million versus -$29 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -14.4% change.
  • Operating income Non-GAAP- Other and eliminations: -$4.62 million versus -$8.25 million estimated by two analysts on average.
  • Operating income Non-GAAP- Asset-Based: $87.53 million compared to the $77.20 million average estimate based on two analysts.
View all Key Company Metrics for ArcBest here>>>

Shares of ArcBest have returned +8% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +5.3% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

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