KNX vs ODFL vs SAIA Stock Comparison

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings, Old Dominion Freight Line and Saia Prices as of Oct 28, 2026 Peers: Industry group
SAIA Saia Inc
$324.62 -1.7% 1M +14.2% 1Y
Market cap
$8.66B
P/E
31.3x
Revenue (TTM)
$3.39B
Div. yield
–
Trucking Industrials
4 wins

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings 6, Saia 4, Old Dominion Freight Line 2). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionKNXODFLSAIALeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $9.91B $35.96B $8.66B ODFL
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 64.6x 33.8x 31.3x SAIA
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 27.3x 28.3x 30.5x KNX
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +7.0% +3.8% +4.8% KNX
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 1.9% — 8.2% SAIA
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 3.2% — 10.2% SAIA
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 0.1x — 0.0x SAIA
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 1.28% 0.66% — KNX
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +39.1% +27.4% +14.2% KNX
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +1.4%/yr +0.3%/yr +0.8%/yr KNX
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 37.8% 38.4% 46.7% KNX
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 48/100 48/100 44/100 ODFL

Percentile Scorecard

KNXODFLSAIA

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisKNXODFLSAIA
Valuation 55 #62 of 136 5 #129 of 136 22 #106 of 136
Growth 69 #38 of 122 37 #77 of 122 50 #62 of 122
Profitability 38 #72 of 116 100 #1 of 116 58 #49 of 116
Financial Health 66 #50 of 143 92 #12 of 143 87 #20 of 143
Shareholder Returns 11 #72 of 81 5 #77 of 81 3 #79 of 81
Overall 48 48 44
  • KNX ranked among 150 companies in Transportation
  • ODFL ranked among 150 companies in Transportation
  • SAIA ranked among 150 companies in Transportation

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodKNXODFLSAIASPY
1 month -4.2%-2.0%-1.7% +0.9%
3 months -14.3%-22.2%-17.7% +5.9%
6 months -3.9%-17.2%-23.1% +8.5%
Year to date +16.4%+10.5%-0.6% +13.3%
1 year +39.1%+27.4%+14.2% +12.4%
3 years +27.0%-5.9%-5.7% +88.1%
3 years, per year +8.3%-2.0%-1.9% +23.5%
5 years +7.4%+1.5%+3.8% +68.2%
5 years, per year +1.4%+0.3%+0.8% +11.0%
10 years +110.9%+591.3%+814.4% +263.4%
10 years, per year +7.7%+21.3%+24.8% +13.8%

Risk

MeasureKNXODFLSAIASPY
Volatility, 1Y 37.8%38.4%46.7% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 32.9%39.4%47.1% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 1.010.931.35 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 1.030.710.30 0.98
Max drawdown, 5Y -39.6%-45.5%-60.9% -25.4%
From 52-week high -26.2%-30.3%-33.4% -0.9%
52-week high $82.45$248.73$487.14 $779.14
52-week low $41.68$126.29$250.48 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleKNXODFLSAIA
P/E now vs peer median 64.6xmedian 16.1x 33.8xmedian 16.1x 31.3xmedian 16.1x
P/S now vs peer median 1.2xmedian 0.9x 6.2xmedian 0.9x 2.6xmedian 0.9x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 8.9xmedian 8.6x —median 8.6x 13.8xmedian 8.6x
P/FCF now vs peer median 13.2xmedian 11.6x 33.0xmedian 11.6x 33.9xmedian 11.6x
P/B now vs peer median 1.4xmedian 1.2x 7.7xmedian 1.2x 3.2xmedian 1.2x
PEG now vs peer median -2.48median 0.80 —median 0.80 -5.00median 0.80

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsKNXODFLSAIA
Revenue $8.00B $5.79B $3.39B
Operating income $338.60M $1.54B $374.65M
Net income $153.25M – $277.96M
Free cash flow $752.32M – $255.23M
EPS (diluted) $0.94 – $10.36
Cash & equivalents $254.16M $466.22M $84.01M
Total debt $347.82M – $100.12M
Shares (diluted) 163.30M 208.72M 26.83M
Enterprise value $9.03B $35.96B $8.48B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricKNXODFLSAIA
P/E 64.6x 33.8x 31.3x
P/FCF 13.2x 33.0x 33.9x
P/Operating cash flow 6.5x – 14.3x
P/S 1.2x 6.2x 2.6x
P/B 1.4x 7.7x 3.2x
P/Tangible book 1.9x 7.7x 3.2x
EV/EBITDA 8.9x – 13.8x
EV/EBIT 29.5x – 23.2x
EV/Revenue 1.2x 6.2x 2.6x
EV/FCF 13.3x – 34.0x
EV/Operating cash flow 6.6x – 14.3x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) -2.48 – -5.00

Growth

14 metrics
MetricKNXODFLSAIA
Revenue growth (1Y) 7.0% 3.8% 4.8%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 4.8% -0.4% 7.4%
Gross profit growth (1Y) – – –
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) – – –
Operating income growth (1Y) 26.6% 10.7% -5.4%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -13.5% -2.3% -5.3%
Net income growth (1Y) 7.4% – -4.2%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -25.9% – -6.1%
EPS growth (1Y) 7.4% – -4.3%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -26.1% – -6.3%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 86.3% – -3.2%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 8.0% – 2.9%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 1,550% – 326.1%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 143.2% – 29.2%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricKNXODFLSAIA
Gross margin – – –
EBITDA margin 14.1% – 18.5%
Operating margin 4.2% – 11.0%
Pretax margin 2.7% – 10.8%
Net margin 1.9% – 8.2%
FCF margin 9.4% – 7.5%
Operating cash flow margin 19.0% – 17.9%
Return on equity 2.2% 25.2% 5.4%
Return on assets 1.3% 20.0% 4.0%
Return on invested capital 3.2% – 10.2%
Return on capital employed 3.1% – 11.4%
Asset turnover 0.7x 1.0x 0.9x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 9.9x – 2.2x
Stock comp / revenue – – –

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricKNXODFLSAIA
Debt / assets 2.9% – 2.7%
Debt / equity 0.0x – 0.0x
Net debt / EBITDA 0.1x – 0.0x
Debt / FCF 0.5x – 0.4x
Liabilities / assets 41.7% 20.7% 26.8%
Equity / assets 58.3% 79.3% 73.2%
Interest coverage 3.0x – 31.1x
Current ratio 0.9x 2.0x 1.6x
Quick ratio 0.6x – 1.4x
Cash ratio 0.2x – 0.2x
Altman Z-score 2.22 – 7.43

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricKNXODFLSAIA
Dividend yield 1.3% 0.7% –
Net buyback yield -0.1% – 0.0%
Shareholder yield 1.2% 0.7% 0.0%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – –
Payout ratio (FCF) – – –
Dividend growth (1Y) – – –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusKNXODFLSAIA
Forward P/E 27.3xFY2026 28.3xFY2026 30.5xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $2.23FY2026 $6.13FY2026 $10.63FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +77.0%FY2026 +26.7%FY2026 +16.7%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +95.5% +3.8% +28.5%
Revenue, next fiscal year $7.91BFY2026 $6.39BFY2026 $3.87BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +5.9%FY2026 +16.1%FY2026 +19.9%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +6.7% -5.2% -5.5%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersKNXODFLSAIA
Held by institutions 100.0% 79.6% 100.0%
Institutions holding 628 1,025 513
Change in shares held, QoQ +1.9% +2.2% +1.0%
Institutions buying 376 543 292
Institutions selling 168 341 152
Buyers to sellers 2.24 1.59 1.92

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

KNXODFLSAIA
KNX 1.00 0.74 0.74
ODFL 0.74 1.00 0.83
SAIA 0.74 0.83 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, KNX, ODFL and SAIA?

Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) is the largest by market capitalisation: Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) $9.91B, Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) $35.96B, Saia (SAIA) $8.66B.

Which stock is cheaper, KNX, ODFL and SAIA?

Saia (SAIA) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) 64.6x, Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) 33.8x, Saia (SAIA) 31.3x). On next year's consensus earnings, Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) is cheapest (Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) 27.3x, Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) 28.3x, Saia (SAIA) 30.5x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) +7.0%, Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) +3.8%, Saia (SAIA) +4.8%.

Which company is more profitable?

Saia (SAIA) has the highest net margin (Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) 1.9%, Saia (SAIA) 8.2%). On return on invested capital, Saia (SAIA) leads (Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) 3.2%, Saia (SAIA) 10.2%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) returned the most: Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) +39.1%, Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) +27.4%, Saia (SAIA) +14.2%. Over five years, Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) compounded fastest (Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) +1.4%/yr, Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) +0.3%/yr, Saia (SAIA) +0.8%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) has the highest dividend yield: Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) 1.28%, Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) 0.66%. Saia (SAIA) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) has been the steadiest (Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) 37.8%, Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) 38.4%, Saia (SAIA) 46.7%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, KNX, ODFL and SAIA?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) leads on 6. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.