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Here's Why Investors Should Invest in C.H. Robinson (CHRW)

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C.H. Robinson Worldwide (CHRW - Free Report) performed well in the past year and has the potential to sustain the momentum in the future. If you have not taken advantage of its share price appreciation yet, it’s time to do so.

Let’s take a look at the factors that make the stock a strong investment pick at the moment.

An Outperformer: A glimpse at the company’s price trend reveals that the stock has had an impressive run on the bourse in the past six months. Over the past six months, shares of CHRW have gained 30.2%, outperforming the industry’s loss of 7.8%.

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Solid Zacks Rank: CHRW presently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Our research shows that stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 (Buy) offer the best investment opportunities. Thus, the company is a compelling investment proposition at the moment. 

Northward Estimate Revisions: The positivity surrounding the stock is evident from the northward movement of estimate revisions. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter 2024 earnings has moved up 12.6% in the past 90 days. For 2024, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has moved up 11.3% in the past 90 days.

Positive Earnings Surprise History: CHRW has an impressive earnings surprise history. The company's earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters (missed the mark in the remaining quarter), delivering an average surprise of 7.33%.

Earnings Expectations: Earnings growth and stock price gains often indicate a company’s prospects. For third-quarter 2024, CHRW’s earnings are expected to grow 27.38% year over year. For 2024 and 2025, CHRW’s earnings are expected to grow 22.42% and 12.37%, year over year, respectively.

Driving Factors: C.H. Robinson's consistent initiatives to reward shareholders through dividends and share repurchases are encouraging. Such shareholder-friendly moves instill investor confidence and positively impact the company's bottom line.

Recently, CHRW’s board of directors approved a dividend hike of 1.6%, thereby raising its quarterly cash dividend to 62 cents per share ($2.48 annualized) from 61 cents ($2.44 annualized). The raised dividend will be paid on Oct 1, 2024, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Sep 6. The move reflects CHRW’s intention to utilize free cash to enhance its shareholders’ returns. Notably, CHRW has been making uninterrupted dividend payments for more than 25 years.

A decrease in operating expenses aids C.H. Robinson’s bottom-line results. During the first half of 2024, operating expenses decreased 1.7% year over year to $1.0 billion. Personnel expenses decreased 2.6% to $740.3 million, primarily due to cost optimization efforts. Low costs on purchased transportation and related services have also resulted in a decline in operating costs.

Other Stocks to Consider

Some other top-ranked stocks from the Zacks Transportation sector are Wabtec Corporation (WAB - Free Report) and Kirby Corporation (KEX - Free Report) . Each stock presently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Wabtec has an impressive earnings surprise history. The company's earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters (missed the mark in the remaining quarter), delivering an average surprise of 11.83%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for WAB’s 2024 earnings has been revised 3.3% upward over the past 90 days. WAB has an expected earnings growth rate of 25.34% for 2024. Shares of WAB have gained 23.5% so far this year.

KEX has an impressive earnings surprise history. The company's earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 8.73%.

KEX has an expected earnings growth rate of 42.47% for 2024. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for KEX 2024 earnings has been revised 1.5% upward over the past 90 days. Shares of KEX have surged 44.9% so far this year.

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