SAIA vs JBHT vs KNX Stock Comparison

Saia, Hunt J B Transport Services and Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Prices as of Nov 2, 2026 Peers: Industry group
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SAIA Saia Inc
$354.87 +1.1% 1M +21.3% 1Y
Market cap
$9.47B
P/E
33.6x
Revenue (TTM)
$3.54B
Div. yield
–
Trucking Industrials
2 wins

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

Hunt J B Transport Services leads on 7 of the 12 questions below (Hunt J B Transport Services 7, Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings 3, Saia 2). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionSAIAJBHTKNXLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $9.47B $20.86B $10.04B JBHT
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 33.6x 31.0x 65.5x JBHT
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 33.4x 32.7x 27.7x KNX
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +9.3% +10.6% +7.0% JBHT
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 8.0% 5.1% 1.9% SAIA
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 10.0% 15.1% 3.2% JBHT
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA -0.2x 0.7x 0.1x SAIA
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield — 0.80% 1.26% KNX
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +21.3% +32.5% +36.7% KNX
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +0.6%/yr +2.8%/yr +0.8%/yr JBHT
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 46.9% 35.1% 37.6% JBHT
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 48/100 49/100 47/100 JBHT

Percentile Scorecard

SAIAJBHTKNX

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

AxisSAIAJBHTKNX
Valuation 21 #109 of 137 29 #97 of 137 56 #61 of 137
Growth 56 #55 of 124 55 #57 of 124 67 #42 of 124
Profitability 64 #45 of 122 68 #40 of 122 36 #78 of 122
Financial Health 92 #13 of 147 54 #68 of 147 65 #52 of 147
Shareholder Returns 6 #80 of 85 38 #53 of 85 12 #75 of 85
Overall 48 49 47
  • SAIA ranked among 150 companies in Transportation
  • JBHT ranked among 150 companies in Transportation
  • KNX ranked among 150 companies in Transportation

Price Performance

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

Returns

PeriodSAIAJBHTKNXSPY
1 month +1.1%-4.4%-7.6% -2.3%
3 months -1.5%-16.2%-9.8% -0.7%
6 months -12.4%-6.1%-0.7% +4.8%
Year to date +8.7%+15.2%+18.0% +10.3%
1 year +21.3%+32.5%+36.7% +10.3%
3 years -8.5%+27.4%+21.2% +73.0%
3 years, per year -2.9%+8.4%+6.6% +20.1%
5 years +2.9%+14.5%+4.2% +61.9%
5 years, per year +0.6%+2.8%+0.8% +10.1%
10 years +922.7%+174.3%+110.9% +258.6%
10 years, per year +26.2%+10.6%+7.7% +13.6%

Risk

MeasureSAIAJBHTKNXSPY
Volatility, 1Y 46.9%35.1%37.6% 12.8%
Downside volatility, 1Y 47.2%37.3%32.7% 12.8%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 1.310.750.98 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.450.930.98 0.80
Max drawdown, 5Y -60.9%-43.0%-39.6% -25.4%
From 52-week high -27.2%-25.0%-25.2% -3.5%
52-week high $487.14$298.41$82.45 $779.14
52-week low $250.48$158.92$41.68 $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.

MultipleSAIAJBHTKNX
P/E now vs peer median 33.6xmedian 16.1x 31.0xmedian 16.1x 65.5xmedian 16.1x
P/S now vs peer median 2.7xmedian 0.9x 1.6xmedian 0.9x 1.3xmedian 0.9x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 14.8xmedian 8.1x 13.1xmedian 8.1x 9.0xmedian 8.1x
P/FCF now vs peer median 34.0xmedian 11.4x 21.6xmedian 11.4x 13.3xmedian 11.4x
P/B now vs peer median 3.4xmedian 1.2x 5.7xmedian 1.2x 1.4xmedian 1.2x
PEG now vs peer median -5.95median 0.75 -23.48median 0.75 -2.51median 0.75

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 monthsSAIAJBHTKNX
Revenue $3.54B $13.33B $8.00B
Operating income $378.33M $960.11M $338.60M
Net income $283.09M $676.07M $153.25M
Free cash flow $278.80M $966.50M $752.32M
EPS (diluted) $10.56 $7.14 $0.94
Cash & equivalents $202.52M $3.75M $254.16M
Total debt $100.00M $1.12B $347.82M
Shares (diluted) 26.82M 94.65M 163.30M
Enterprise value $9.12B $20.83B $9.17B

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
MetricSAIAJBHTKNX
P/E 33.6x 31.0x 65.5x
P/FCF 34.0x 21.6x 13.3x
P/Operating cash flow 15.3x 14.0x 6.6x
P/S 2.7x 1.6x 1.3x
P/B 3.4x 5.7x 1.4x
P/Tangible book 3.4x 5.7x 1.9x
EV/EBITDA 14.8x 13.1x 9.0x
EV/EBIT 24.8x 22.9x 29.9x
EV/Revenue 2.6x 1.6x 1.3x
EV/FCF 33.6x 22.7x 13.5x
EV/Operating cash flow 15.2x 14.7x 6.7x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) -5.95 -23.48 -2.51

Growth

14 metrics
MetricSAIAJBHTKNX
Revenue growth (1Y) 9.3% 10.6% 7.0%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 8.3% 0.4% 4.8%
Gross profit growth (1Y) – – –
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) – – –
Operating income growth (1Y) -2.9% 16.3% 26.6%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -4.9% -3.6% -13.5%
Net income growth (1Y) -0.2% 18.1% 7.4%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -5.6% -4.5% -25.9%
EPS growth (1Y) -0.3% 20.8% 7.4%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -5.6% -1.3% -26.1%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) -0.7% -7.2% 86.3%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 4.3% -8.5% 8.0%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 2,140% 22.4% 1,550%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 33.8% 162.1% 143.2%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricSAIAJBHTKNX
Gross margin – – –
EBITDA margin 17.9% 12.6% 14.1%
Operating margin 10.7% 7.2% 4.2%
Pretax margin 10.6% 6.7% 2.7%
Net margin 8.0% 5.1% 1.9%
FCF margin 7.9% 7.3% 9.4%
Operating cash flow margin 17.5% 11.2% 19.0%
Return on equity 8.5% 18.5% 2.2%
Return on assets 6.2% 8.4% 1.3%
Return on invested capital 10.0% 15.1% 3.2%
Return on capital employed 11.1% 14.9% 3.1%
Asset turnover 0.9x 1.7x 0.7x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 2.2x 2.2x 9.9x
Stock comp / revenue – 0.5% –

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricSAIAJBHTKNX
Debt / assets 2.6% 13.9% 2.9%
Debt / equity 0.0x 0.3x 0.0x
Net debt / EBITDA -0.2x 0.7x 0.1x
Debt / FCF 0.4x 1.2x 0.5x
Liabilities / assets 26.7% 55.1% 41.7%
Equity / assets 73.3% 44.9% 58.3%
Interest coverage 39.5x 14.2x 3.0x
Current ratio 1.8x 1.2x 0.9x
Quick ratio 1.7x 1.0x 0.6x
Cash ratio 0.5x 0.0x 0.2x
Altman Z-score 7.78 – 2.24

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricSAIAJBHTKNX
Dividend yield – 0.8% 1.3%
Net buyback yield 0.0% 2.4% -0.1%
Shareholder yield 0.0% 3.2% 1.2%
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.

ConsensusSAIAJBHTKNX
Forward P/E 33.4xFY2026 32.7xFY2026 27.7xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $10.63FY2026 $6.85FY2026 $2.23FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +16.7%FY2026 +11.9%FY2026 +77.0%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +28.5% +36.6% +95.5%
Revenue, next fiscal year $3.87BFY2026 $13.43BFY2026 $7.91BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +19.9%FY2026 +11.9%FY2026 +5.9%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after -5.5% +18.0% +6.7%
SAIA estimates →JBHT estimates →KNX estimates →

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersSAIAJBHTKNX
Held by institutions 100.0% 76.9% 100.0%
Institutions holding 515 859 630
Change in shares held, QoQ +1.0% +1.8% +1.9%
Institutions buying 292 516 376
Institutions selling 152 235 168
Buyers to sellers 1.92 2.20 2.24
SAIA holders →JBHT holders →KNX holders →

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.

SAIAJBHTKNX
SAIA 1.00 0.72 0.74
JBHT 0.72 1.00 0.78
KNX 0.74 0.78 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry
SAIA · Trucking
+ODFLOld Dominion Freight Line +XPOXpo +FDXFFedEx Freight Holding Company +TFIITFI International +SNDRSchneider National +ARCBArcbest +WERNWerner Enterprises +MRTNMarten Transport
Plot all 40 Trucking stocks →

Related Comparisons

SAIA vs ODFLOld Dominion Freight Line SAIA vs XPOXpo SAIA vs FDXFFedEx Freight Holding Company SAIA vs TFIITFI International

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, SAIA, JBHT and KNX?

Hunt J B Transport Services (JBHT) is the largest by market capitalisation: Saia (SAIA) $9.47B, Hunt J B Transport Services (JBHT) $20.86B, Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) $10.04B.

Which stock is cheaper, SAIA, JBHT and KNX?

Hunt J B Transport Services (JBHT) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Saia (SAIA) 33.6x, Hunt J B Transport Services (JBHT) 31.0x, Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) 65.5x). On next year's consensus earnings, Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) is cheapest (Saia (SAIA) 33.4x, Hunt J B Transport Services (JBHT) 32.7x, Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) 27.7x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Hunt J B Transport Services (JBHT) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Saia (SAIA) +9.3%, Hunt J B Transport Services (JBHT) +10.6%, Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) +7.0%.

Which company is more profitable?

Saia (SAIA) has the highest net margin (Saia (SAIA) 8.0%, Hunt J B Transport Services (JBHT) 5.1%, Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) 1.9%). On return on invested capital, Hunt J B Transport Services (JBHT) leads (Saia (SAIA) 10.0%, Hunt J B Transport Services (JBHT) 15.1%, Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) 3.2%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) returned the most: Saia (SAIA) +21.3%, Hunt J B Transport Services (JBHT) +32.5%, Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) +36.7%. Over five years, Hunt J B Transport Services (JBHT) compounded fastest (Saia (SAIA) +0.6%/yr, Hunt J B Transport Services (JBHT) +2.8%/yr, Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) +0.8%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) has the highest dividend yield: Hunt J B Transport Services (JBHT) 0.80%, Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) 1.26%. Saia (SAIA) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Hunt J B Transport Services (JBHT) has been the steadiest (Saia (SAIA) 46.9%, Hunt J B Transport Services (JBHT) 35.1%, Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) 37.6%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

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

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Hunt J B Transport Services (JBHT) leads on 7. 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.