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Knight-Swift's EPS Estimates Northbound: Time to Buy the Stock?

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Key Takeaways

  • Knight-Swift trades at a discount forward P/E ratio than its industry average, signaling a cheap valuation.
  • KNX has raised its quarterly dividend annually for seven consecutive years for a 233% overall increase.
  • KNX expects its second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share to be in the range of 45-49 cents.

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. (KNX - Free Report) performed well in the past year and has the potential to sustain the momentum in the future. The positive sentiment surrounding KNX stock is evident from the fact that the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the third quarter of 2026 and the fourth quarter of 2026 earnings has been revised upward in the past 60 days. The consensus mark for 2026 and 2027 earnings has also been projected northward in the past 60 days.

The favorable estimate revisions indicate brokers’ confidence in the stock.

Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Now, the question is whether it is worth buying, holding, or selling the Knight-Swift stock at current prices. Let us delve deeper to find out.

Tailwinds Working in Favor of Knight-Swift Stock

Knight-Swift has been active on the acquisition front to strengthen its revenue stream, which is likely to drive growth and margin expansion.

Knight-Swift has proactively reduced its tractor fleet to better align with demand, which helps improve asset utilization and profitability as market conditions improve. To this end, Knight-Swift announced (on March 16, 2026) that it has inked a deal with TRANSTEX, a cleantech leader in emission-reducing solutions for the transportation sector. Per the deal, TRANSTEX will be purchasing FleetAero assets from Knight-Swift. The capacity discipline is a major tailwind for this trucking company.

Additionally, Knight-Swift’s shareholder-friendly initiatives in the form of dividend payments and share buybacks make it a good investor choice. As a reflection of its shareholder-friendly instance, in 2022, 2023 and 2024, KNX paid dividends of $78.30 million, $91.14 million and $104.15 million, respectively. During 2025, KNX paid dividends of $117.44 million. Knight-Swift has raised its quarterly dividend annually for seven consecutive years for a 233% overall increase. Consistent and rising dividend paymentsmay encourage investors to stay invested, thus stemming price declines.

KNX Stock’s Price Performance

Shares of KNX stock have gained 46% so far this year, outperforming the transportation-truck industry’s 43.1% surge, as well as that of other industry players, Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. (ODFL - Free Report) and Werner Enterprises, Inc. (WERN - Free Report) within the same time frame.

KNX Stock’s YTD Price Comparison

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Impressive Valuation Picture for Knight-Swift

Knight-Swift looks cheap from a valuation standpoint. Considering the forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio (P/E-F12M), KNX is trading at a discount compared to the industry.

The stock has a forward 12-month P/E-F12M of 27.92X compared with 33.74X for the industry over the past five years. These factors indicate that the stock’s valuation is attractive.

Knight-Swift P/E Ratio (Forward 12 Months) Vs. Industry

Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Time to Buy KNX Stock

It is understood that KNX stock is currently attractively valued. Consistent shareholder-friendly initiatives boost investor confidence and positively impact the bottom line. Knight-Swift has raised its quarterly dividend annually for seven consecutive years for a 233% overall increase. Apart from being shareholder-friendly, Knight-Swift has been active on the acquisition front to strengthen its revenue stream, which is likely to drive growth and margin expansion. Knight-Swift has proactively reduced its tractor fleet to better align with demand, which helps improve asset utilization and profitability as market conditions improve.

We believe that the positives surrounding the stock (as highlighted throughout the write-up) outweigh the concerns regarding rising expenses related to salaries, wages, and benefits, equipment, maintenance, fuel, and other expenses and driver shortage issues. We, therefore, suggest investors add Knight-Swift stock to their portfolios for healthy returns. The company’s Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) further supports our thesis. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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