ArcBest Reports Q4 Loss Despite Beating Revenue Forecasts

Seth Runser (Photo provided by ArcBest)

ArcBest Corp. of Fort Smith (Nasdaq: ARCB) reported Friday a fourth-quarter loss of $8.1 million, down from a profit of $29 million a year ago.

Earnings per share was a loss of 36 cents, down from $1.24. Adjusted earnings came to 36 cents per share.

The results did not meet Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of six analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 45 cents per share.

The freight transportation and logistics company reported quarterly revenue of $972.7 million, down from $1 billion a year ago but above Street forecasts. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $968.8 million.

For the full year of 2025, ArcBest reported income of $60.1 million, down from $173.9 million. Earnings per share came to $2.62, down from $7.30. Full-year revenue was $4 billion, down from $4.2 billion.

Shares of the company opened at $80.58 and rose more than 3% Friday morning. Over the past 12 months, shares were down more than 6%.

The earnings report is the first under new CEO Seth Runser, who succeeded Judy McReynolds on Jan. 1.

“2025 was a year of strong execution and meaningful progress for ArcBest,” Runser said in a statement. “Amid a challenging freight environment, our team delivered growth in [less-than-truckload] shipments and tonnage, restored profitability in asset-light, and achieved record asset-light productivity as customers increasingly embraced our integrated, technology-driven solutions. These results are a testament to the resilience and dedication of our people and the trust our customers place in us every day. 

“We are advancing our strategic plan and remain confident we are taking the right steps to achieve our objectives and drive long-term value.”

ABF Freight, the company’s asset-based LTL and largest division, reported quarterly revenue of $648.8 million, down 1.1% from $656.2 million, and operating income of $24.4 million, down 53.3% from $52.3 million.

For the year, ABF Freight reported revenue of $2.73 billion, down less than 1% from $2.75 billion, and operating income of $171.99 million, down 41.1% from $242.6 million.

The company’s asset-light division reported quarterly revenue of $353.5 million, down 5.8% from $375.4 million, and an operating loss of $9.9 million, widening from a loss of $1.6 million a year ago.

For the year, asset-light revenue was $1.4 billion, down 9.7% from $1.55 billion, and operating income was a loss of $15.3 million, down from a profit of $58.4 million.

The company reported that revenue per shipment for ABF Freight was down 2.5% for the quarter and 3% for the year.

In asset-light, revenue per shipment was down 5.8% for the quarter and 7.4% for the year.