Friday, February 3, 2012

Investopedia: Arkansas Best Isn't The Best, But Is It This Bad?


Although the trucking market may not be quite as attractive as rail, it's not terrible. Tonnage is increasing at a slower rate, but is still positive and likely to continue growing so long as the economy grows. Unfortunately, Arkansas Best (Nasdaq:ABFS) seems to be making a tough decision on price versus volume, and needs to show better margins to validate the choice.

A Disappointing Close to the Year
Of the three metrics that most transport investors place great importance on, Arkansas disappointed meaningfully on two. Revenue was up 5% in the quarter, but strong pricing (up almost 13% per hundredweight) was offset by very weak volume. Tonnage was down about 8% in the fourth quarter, and weakened as the quarter went on. Given the overall tonnage trends, it looks as though Arkansas Best may have priced itself out of some business.


To read more, please click below:
http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2012/Arkansas-Best-Isnt-The-Best-But-Is-It-This-Bad-ABFS-ODFL-FDX-SWFT0203.aspx

No comments: