New Opportunities Can Continue To Drive The Old Dominion Story

Old Dominion (NASDAQ:ODFL) is a good example of why it pays to keep an eye on good companies even when their share prices/valuations get a little steep. I thought Old Dominion looked interesting last August amid a marked slowdown in the industry (including the company's first year-over-year declines in tonnage in seven years), but the nearly 40% gain in the share price since then was even more than I had expected. While that is a strong performance next to ArcBest (NASDAQ:ARCB) (not to mention truckload carriers Heartland (NASDAQ:HTLD) and Knight (NYSE:KNX)), I will note that both Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) and XPO (NYSEMKT:XPO) have done better (though XPO isn't a pure LTL trucking company).

Old Dominion is back to what I would call its more typical valuation situation – relatively expensive compared to its likely medium/long-term earnings and cash flow prospects unless you are willing to give a relatively generous premium for its superior quality. In the “gotta own something” world of institutional investing, though, I can appreciate why Old Dominion is popular now, as the company's performance and the stronger underlying recovery are supporting upward estimate revisions. What's more, Old Dominion's established strategic advantages should enable the company to continue gaining share in the competitive trucking space.

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New Opportunities Can Continue To Drive The Old Dominion Story