As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q2. Today, we are looking at ground transportation stocks, starting with Avis Budget Group (NASDAQ:CAR).
The growth of e-commerce and global trade continues to drive demand for shipping services, especially last-mile delivery, presenting opportunities for ground transportation companies. The industry continues to invest in data, analytics, and autonomous fleets to optimize efficiency and find the most cost-effective routes. Despite the essential services this industry provides, ground transportation companies are still at the whim of economic cycles. Consumer spending, for example, can greatly impact the demand for these companies’ offerings while fuel costs can influence profit margins.
The 15 ground transportation stocks we track reported a strong Q2. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.7%.
Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 10.8% since the latest earnings results.
Avis Budget Group (NASDAQ:CAR)
The parent company of brands such as Zipcar and Budget Truck Rental, Avis (NASDAQ:CAR) is a provider of car rental and mobility solutions.
Avis Budget Group reported revenues of $3.00 billion, down 1.3% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 3.2%. Overall, it was a mixed quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.
“The second quarter demonstrated how we are operating the business differently: as booking trends shifted, we moved quickly to resize fleet, protect utilization and returns, and deliver Adjusted EBITDA in line with our initial expectations,” said Brian Choi, Avis Budget Group CEO.
Avis Budget Group delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates of the whole group. The market seems disappointed with the results as the stock is down 36.8% since reporting and currently trades at $105.07.
Is now the time to buy Avis Budget Group? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Best Q2: RXO (NYSE:RXO)
With access to millions of trucks, RXO (NYSE:RXO) offers full-truckload, less-than-truckload, and last-mile deliveries.
RXO reported revenues of $1.77 billion, up 25% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 7.9%. The business had an incredible quarter with EBITDA guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts’ expectations and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.
RXO pulled off the biggest analyst estimate beat and fastest revenue growth in the group. Although it had a fine quarter compared to its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 4.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $20.00.
Is now the time to buy RXO? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Weakest Q2: Werner (NASDAQ:WERN)
Conducting business in over a 100 countries, Werner (NASDAQ:WERN) offers full-truckload, less-than-truckload, and intermodal delivery services.
Werner reported revenues of $933.9 million, up 24% year on year, in line with analysts’ expectations. It was a slower quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates and adjusted operating income in line with analysts’ estimates.
As expected, the stock is down 12.5% since the results and currently trades at $33.53.
Read our full analysis of Werner’s results here.
Knight-Swift Transportation (NYSE:KNX)
Covering 1.6 billion loaded miles in 2023 alone, Knight-Swift Transportation (NYSE:KNX) offers less-than-truckload and full truckload delivery services.
Knight-Swift Transportation reported revenues of $2.10 billion, up 12.6% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 2%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter as it also put up a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and EPS guidance for next quarter beating analysts’ expectations.
The stock is down 16.8% since reporting and currently trades at $63.25.
Read our full, actionable report on Knight-Swift Transportation here, it’s free.
Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA)
Pivoting its business model after realizing there was more success in delivering produce than selling it, Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) is a provider of freight transportation solutions.
Saia reported revenues of $956.5 million, up 17.1% year on year. This number was in line with analysts’ expectations. It was a satisfactory quarter as it also logged a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.
The stock is down 16.2% since reporting and currently trades at $330.60.
Read our full, actionable report on Saia here, it’s free.
Market Update
Over the past year, investors have been forced to repeatedly answer the same question: what is the market’s biggest risk? The answer has changed several times, and each shift has reshaped market leadership.
Late in 2025 and early 2026, artificial intelligence became the market’s primary uncertainty. Investors questioned whether AI would erode software pricing power and weaken competitive moats as AI made it easier to replicate once-differentiated products.
By the spring, technology took a back seat to geopolitics. The U.S. conflict with Iran briefly became the market’s dominant narrative, raising concerns about oil prices, inflation, and global growth. But as energy markets remained orderly and fears of a prolonged supply disruption faded, investors quickly turned their focus back to fundamentals.
Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Hidden Gem Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.