Shipping company Forward Air (FWRD -4.06%) reported a disappointing quarter, weighed down by market conditions and a controversial acquisition. Investors are taking the exit ramp, sending Forward shares down as much as 40% for the day and down 25% as of 2:15 p.m. ET.
Tough conditions, even worse quarter
Forward is an asset-light provider of transportation services. In January, the company completed a deal for Omni Logistics over the objections of an activist investor who feared Forward was overpaying.
The latest results do not paint a good picture. Forward lost $0.64 per share in the quarter on $541.8 million, well below the $0.11-per-share loss on revenue of $604 million that Wall Street had expected.
Transportation companies by and large have had a disappointing earnings season due to soft demand trends and economic uncertainty from major customers. But Forward said that Omni's results were more adversely impacted as a result of that company's exposure to the international freight market.
Is Forward Air a buy after its post-earnings stock slide?
Forward is under new leadership. CEO Shawn Stewart was named to the post in late April following the departure of Tom Schmitt in the wake of the Omni deal. Stewart was not around for the decision to buy Omni, but he is determined to make the most of it.
"I am committed to aggressively taking action to improve profitability, maximize synergy capture and drive our leadership in global supply chain and domestic transportation services," Stewart said in a statement. "With the distractions of the deal closing behind us, our team is focused on execution."
Stewart has a good reputation in the industry, and he promised to provide an update on company strategy, and full-year 2024 guidance, as part of Forward's next earnings call.
Last fall, activist Ancora Holdings estimated that Forward could trade as high as $145 per share absent the Omni deal, and with better capital allocation and margin improvement. The company's shares trade at around $16 apiece today.
There's great potential here, but also great risk. Those tempted to buy the dip should be prepared to be stuck in traffic for a while before a payoff.
