Old Dominion Freight Line (NASDAQ:ODFL) Trading 7.7% Higher Following Earnings Beat

Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. (NASDAQ:ODFL)’s stock price shot up 7.7% during trading on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $205.24 and last traded at $204.4530. 2,983,070 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 44% from the average session volume of 2,070,855 shares. The stock had previously closed at $189.77.

The transportation company reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. Old Dominion Freight Line had a return on equity of 24.03% and a net margin of 18.62%.The business had revenue of $1.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.30 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.23 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year.

Old Dominion Freight Line Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Old Dominion Freight Line’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. Old Dominion Freight Line’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.54%.

Old Dominion Freight Line News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Old Dominion Freight Line this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat EPS expectations and management raised the quarterly dividend (3.6% increase); company highlighted pricing power and a 76.7% operating ratio, which underpin longer‑term profitability. Conference Release
• Positive Sentiment: Some brokers raised price targets after the quarter (e.g., Morgan Stanley moved its target higher), which helped earlier upside momentum before the pullback. Morgan Stanley PT Hike
• Neutral Sentiment: Top-line dynamics are mixed — revenue beat estimates narrowly ($1.307B vs ~$1.298B) but revenue was down ~5.7% Y/Y and LTL tons per day fell ~10.7%, pointing to weak freight demand that could limit near‑term growth. Q4 Details
• Neutral Sentiment: Regional economic commentary (Old Dominion University) flags headwinds for Virginia/Hampton Roads growth in 2026 — contextual macro risk for regional freight demand. Regional Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: Several analysts issued cautious/negative stances or set price targets below the current share price (e.g., JPMorgan PT $168 neutral; Wells Fargo PT $165 underweight), creating headline pressure and signaling limited near‑term upside in sell‑side expectations. Analyst Notes
• Negative Sentiment: Robert W. Baird downgraded ODFL to underperform (even as it bumped its PT), and other negative/downgrade headlines (reported on MSN/Benzinga) amplified investor caution after the earnings release. Baird Downgrade

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Old Dominion Freight Line from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, January 25th. Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Old Dominion Freight Line from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Barclays set a $185.00 target price on shares of Old Dominion Freight Line in a research note on Thursday. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $232.00 target price on shares of Old Dominion Freight Line in a report on Thursday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $217.00 price target on shares of Old Dominion Freight Line in a report on Thursday. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and six have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $180.67.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Old Dominion Freight Line

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ODFL. Norges Bank bought a new position in Old Dominion Freight Line in the second quarter worth approximately $371,961,000. Boston Partners purchased a new position in shares of Old Dominion Freight Line during the third quarter valued at $292,599,000. Two Sigma Investments LP raised its holdings in shares of Old Dominion Freight Line by 637.5% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 1,576,470 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $221,935,000 after acquiring an additional 1,362,697 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC lifted its stake in Old Dominion Freight Line by 21.6% in the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 4,366,843 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $614,764,000 after acquiring an additional 776,004 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in Old Dominion Freight Line by 21.3% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,544,588 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $499,007,000 after acquiring an additional 622,275 shares in the last quarter. 77.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Old Dominion Freight Line Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $42.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.85, a PEG ratio of 10.38 and a beta of 1.28. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $165.35 and its 200-day simple moving average is $151.50.

About Old Dominion Freight Line

Old Dominion Freight Line is a U.S.-based less-than-truckload (LTL) transportation company that provides regional, inter-regional and national freight services. Founded in 1934 and headquartered in Thomasville, North Carolina, the company has grown from a regional carrier into a national freight network, operating a broad system of service centers and terminals to move shipments for shippers of varying sizes and industries.

The company’s core business is LTL trucking, offering scheduled pickup and delivery for palletized freight that does not require a full truckload.