Stock Analysis
Saia, Inc.SAIA
P/E 32.06×· 5Y range 13.79–51.19×· 53th percentile of history
Sector: Industrials · Industry: Trucking (No Local)
AnalystsBuy27 analystsP/E 32.1× sits at the 53rd percentile of its 5.0513347022587265-year history.
Cash covers 31% of debt · Q2 2026.
PMP Verdict
Mixed fundamentals, fairly valued
Strengths
- Financial Health88
- Quality87
Risks
- Growth44
- Profitability49
Mixed picture — no clear quality or value edge.
Bull Case
- ✓Altman Z 7.0 — safe-zone balance sheet
- ✓Interest coverage 86.5× — debt well covered
What's happening with SAIA
Profile
Strong financial health and earnings quality; moat, growth, valuation and profitability lag behind.
How is each axis scored?
- Valuation49/100 · Weak
- P/E vs own history (53th pct)12/25
- FCF yield (2.9%)5/25
- P/S (2.6x)20/25
- EV/EBIT (24.3x)12/25
- Growth44/100 · Weak
- Revenue CAGR (9.0%)12/25
- Net income CAGR (0.2%)6/25
- EPS CAGR 5Y (0.1%)6/25
- Fwd implied growth (23.6%)20/25
- Profitability49/100 · Weak
- ROIC (10.2%)12/25
- ROE (10.2%)12/25
- Net margin (8.2%)13/25
- Operating margin (11.0%)12/25
- Financial Health88/100 · Strong
- Altman Z (7.02)25/25
- Current ratio (1.58)18/25
- Interest coverage (86.5x)25/25
- Net cash / debt (D/A 5%)20/25
- Quality87/100 · Strong
- Piotroski F (6/9)15/25
- Beneish M (-2.78)25/25
- FCF conversion (92%)22/25
- Margin stability (σ 3.8%)25/25
- Moat42/100 · Weak
- ROIC >12% years (7/10 yrs)20/25
- Median gross margin (15.7%)0/25
- FCF-positive years (7/10 yrs)10/25
- Worst-year net margin (worst 3.9%)12/25
About Saia, Inc.
Saia ranks among the 10 largest less-than-truckload carriers in the United States, with more than 210 facilities and a fleet of more than 7,500 tractors and 26,000 trailers. Show more
As a national LTL carrier, the firm offers time-definite and expedited options for shipments ranging between 100 and 10,000 pounds. Saia ranks among the top-tier providers in terms of profitability.
Headquarters: JOHNS CREEK, GA · Employees: 14,500 · Website ↗
Price History
Weekly Candlestick Chart — up to 5Y
Key Metrics
Financial snapshot · Tap any metric for its definition and grade
TTM Snapshot
trailing twelve months · YoYValuation
49D+P/E (TTM)32.1xC
Grade C: ExpensivePrice / TTM EPS (own statements) — vs own 5Y history: 13.8x–51.2x · 53rd pct
P/FCF35.5xC
Grade C: ExpensivePrice / Free Cash Flow per share (Finnhub). Inverse of FCF yield — negative when FCF is negative · Elevated investment — CapEx = 58% of operating cash flow, weighing on reported FCF
FCF Yield2.9%C
Grade C: LowTTM (OCF − CapEx) / Market Cap — vs own 5Y history: -7.3%–2.9% · highest in history · Elevated investment — CapEx = 58% of operating cash flow, weighing on reported FCF
P/S (TTM)2.63xB
Grade B: FairPrice / TTM Revenue (own statements) — vs own 5Y history: 1.8x–5.8x · 31st pct
EV/EBIT24.3xC
Grade C: ExpensiveEnterprise value / TTM EBIT (D&A not in our data) — capital-structure neutral — vs own 5Y history: 10.2x–37.6x · 55th pct
EV/Sales2.7xB
Grade B: FairEnterprise Value / TTM Revenue (Finnhub) — capital-structure neutral sales multiple
Forward P/E25.9xC
Grade C: ExpensivePrice / next-year EPS estimate — shows whether the TTM multiple is rich or just front-loading growth
P/B Ratio3.27xC
Grade C: ExpensivePrice to Book Value. Neg. equity = heavy buybacks
PEG Ratio1.36B
Grade B: FairFinnhub PEG — their P/E basis ÷ expected EPS growth. Suppressed when their P/E diverges >2× from our TTM P/E (different basis)
Dividend Yield—
TTM dividend yield (Finnhub) — annual dividends / price. None = no dividend; very high yield can signal distress
Payout Ratio—
Dividends / Net Income (Finnhub) — share of earnings paid out; >90% or negative = unsustainable
Elevated investment: Elevated investment — CapEx = 58% of operating cash flow, weighing on reported FCF
Profitability
49D+ROIC10.2%C
Grade C: AverageNOPAT (EBIT less ~21% tax) / invested capital (equity + debt − cash). Flagship quality metric — durable >15% signals a moat
ROE10.2%C
Grade C: AverageReturn on Equity. Neg. equity = heavy buybacks
ROA7.8%C
Grade C: AverageReturn on Assets (Finnhub) — Net Income / Total Assets; how efficiently assets produce profit
Net Margin8.2%C
Grade C: AverageNet Income / Revenue
Operating Margin11.0%C
Grade C: AverageTTM EBIT / TTM Revenue
Gross Margin23.6%D
Grade D: LowGross Profit / Revenue
FCF Margin7.5%D
Grade D: LowFCF / Revenue · Elevated investment — CapEx = 58% of operating cash flow, weighing on reported FCF
True FCF Margin7.0%C
Grade C: AverageTTM (OCF − CapEx − SBC) / TTM Revenue — SBC treated as a real cost · Elevated investment — CapEx = 58% of operating cash flow, weighing on reported FCF
Growth
44D+Revenue CAGR9.0%C
Grade C: OkCompound annual revenue growth (up to 5Y depending on data availability)
Net Income CAGR0.2%D
Grade D: LowCompound annual net income growth (up to 5Y depending on data availability)
EPS CAGR (5Y)0.1%D
Grade D: LowCompound annual EPS growth over up to 5Y of per-share earnings (own statements). Null when either endpoint EPS ≤ 0
Implied EPS Growth23.6%C
Grade C: MedAnalyst forward EPS (normalized basis) vs our GAAP TTM EPS — different bases, so extreme values usually mark cyclically depressed TTM earnings, not real growth
Dilution (5Y)-0.3%B
Grade B: FlatShare count change over 5Y
SBC / Net Income6.3%A
Grade A: LowStock-based comp/Net income. >30% = dilution risk
SBC / Revenue0.5%A
Grade A: LowTTM stock-based comp / TTM Revenue
Financial Health
88AAltman Z-Score7.02A
Grade A: SafeBankruptcy risk. >3 Safe, <1.8 Distress
Current Ratio1.58xC
Grade C: OkCurrent Assets/Liabilities
Quick Ratio1.45xA
Grade A: High(Current Assets − Inventory) / Current Liabilities (Finnhub) — stricter liquidity test, excludes inventory
Interest Coverage86.5xA
Grade A: StrongEBIT/Interest. >10 Strong
Debt Repayment0.7yA
Grade A: FastYears to repay net debt via FCF · Elevated investment — CapEx = 58% of operating cash flow, weighing on reported FCF
Net Debt/EBIT0.5xA
Grade A: LowLeverage. <2x Low, >4x High
Debt/Equity0.10xA
Grade A: LowDebt / Equity: <1 Conservative, >2 Risky. Not meaningful with non-positive equity; shown as unavailable rather than low debt.
Cash / Debt0.31xC
Grade C: PartialCash covers how much of total debt. >1 = could repay all debt from cash
Quality
87APiotroski F-Score6/9C
Grade C: AverageFinancial strength 0–9. >7 Strong
Beneish M-Score-2.78A
Grade A: SafeEarnings manipulation risk. < -2.22 Safe
FCF Conversion91.8%A
Grade A: StrongFCF / Net Income · Elevated investment — CapEx = 58% of operating cash flow, weighing on reported FCF
Margin Stability3.8%A
Grade A: StableEBIT margin std deviation. Lower = stable
Capex / Revenue10.4%C
Grade C: AverageTTM CapEx / TTM Revenue — high % = capital-hungry business
Asset Turnover0.95xC
Grade C: AverageRevenue / Total Assets (Finnhub) — how efficiently the asset base generates sales
Insider Transactions
SEC Form 4 · 8 records| Trade date | Insider | Transaction | Shares | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Norwood Anthony R Filed | Norwood Anthony R | SellOpen market sale | -292 | |
HOLZGREFE FREDERICK J III Filed | HOLZGREFE FREDERICK J III | BuyJ | +10.0K | |
HOLZGREFE FREDERICK J III Filed | HOLZGREFE FREDERICK J III | SellJ | -10000 | |
HOLZGREFE FREDERICK J III Filed | HOLZGREFE FREDERICK J III | Gift | +10.0K | |
HOLZGREFE FREDERICK J III Filed | HOLZGREFE FREDERICK J III | Gift | -10000 |
Show 3 more filingsShow fewer filings
| Trade date | Insider | Transaction | Shares | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
EPPS DONNA E Filed | EPPS DONNA E | Grant / award | +395 | |
GAINOR JOHN P JR Filed | GAINOR JOHN P JR | Grant / award | +395 | |
Melville Randolph W Filed | Melville Randolph W | Grant / award | +395 |
More metrics — Moat, Per Share, Balance Sheet, MarketHide additional metrics
Moat
42D+ROIC >12% Years7/10 yrsA
Grade A: DurableShare of completed fiscal years with ROIC > 12% — measures multi-year capital-return durability
Gross Margin (Med.)15.7%D
Grade D: WeakMedian annual gross margin across available fiscal years — pricing-power durability
FCF-Positive Years7/10 yrsD
Grade D: WeakShare of completed fiscal years with positive free cash flow
Net Margin Floor3.9%C
Grade C: ModerateWeakest annual net margin across completed fiscal years — recession/downcycle resilience
Per Share
EPS (TTM)$10.45
Own TTM net income / shares — same earnings basis as P/E
Cash / Share$3.15
Cash & short-term investments per share (Finnhub)
Book Value / Share$102.22
Shareholders' equity per share (Finnhub). Negative = accumulated losses / heavy buybacks
Balance Sheet
Total Debt$269.19M
Total debt obligations (short + long term)
Cash & Equiv.$84.01M
Cash and short-term investments
Net Debt$185.18M
Total Debt minus Cash. Negative = Net Cash position
Total Equity$2.73B
Shareholders' equity (book value)
Asset / Liability3.73xA
Grade A: SolidTotal Assets / Total Liabilities
Market
Market Cap$8.91B
Current Market Capitalization
Beta2.13D
Grade D: High volatilityPrice sensitivity vs the market (Finnhub) — 1.0 moves with market, >1.2 amplifies swings
How grades work: each metric is graded A–D against fixed thresholds (tap a row for the meaning). Card grades map the pillar score to A+–E — a card grade is that pillar's own score, not an average of the rows shown.
Financials as of Jun 2026 · Ratio snapshot Oct 17, 2026
Key Insights: Saia, Inc. (SAIA)
SAIA is down 1.89% at the last close. Piotroski F-Score of 6/9 indicates mixed fundamentals for Saia, Inc.. Altman Z-Score of 7.02 sits comfortably in the safe zone (≥ 2.99), indicating low bankruptcy risk.
- Beneish M-Score of -2.78 suggests a low likelihood of earnings manipulation.
- Takes ~0.7 years to repay net debt from free cash flow.
See how SAIA ranks on the Capex Tracker — top 50 capital spenders compared.
No significant market moves for SAIA in the last 30 days.
See SAIA move history →Frequently Asked Questions about SAIA
What is the current Saia, Inc. (SAIA) stock price?
SAIA is trading at $335.00 at the last market close, down 1.89% on the session. PreMarketPrice tracks SAIA pre-market, intraday and after-hours prices.
Is SAIA stock a buy right now?
PreMarketPrice's quantitative model rates Saia, Inc.'s financial health at 88/100. This is a data-driven snapshot of fundamentals, not investment advice.
Is SAIA stock overvalued?
Saia, Inc. trades at a trailing P/E of 32.1 and our valuation score rates it 49/100 (higher = cheaper vs. its own history). See the Valuation History and Key Metrics sections for forward P/E, EV/EBITDA and PEG context.
When does Saia, Inc. report earnings?
No confirmed earnings date is currently scheduled for SAIA. The Earnings section lists recent reports and updates as dates are announced.
What sector does Saia, Inc. operate in?
Saia, Inc. operates in the Industrials sector, within the Trucking (No Local) industry. The Related Stocks section lists sector peers for comparison.
What does Saia, Inc. do?
Saia ranks among the 10 largest less-than-truckload carriers in the United States, with more than 210 facilities and a fleet of more than 7,500 tractors and 26,000 trailers.
About Saia, Inc. (SAIA) Stock
Saia, Inc. (SAIA) is a US-listed stock operating in the Industrials sector, specifically the Trucking (No Local) industry. As of the latest update, Saia, Inc. is trading at $335.00, down 1.89% on the day with a market capitalization of $8.9 billion. The financial health score for SAIA is 88/100, which indicates excellent financial strength based on profitability, leverage, liquidity, and growth metrics. This page provides real-time pre-market pricing, earnings calendar, financial health analysis, and valuation metrics for SAIA stock.
SAIA Stock Analysis & Key Metrics
On PreMarketPrice, you can track Saia, Inc. (SAIA) across multiple dimensions:
- Pre-market price & movement: Real-time SAIA stock price with percentage change, updated continuously during pre-market and regular trading hours.
- Valuation & P/E history: Historical P/E, P/S, and P/B ratios for SAIA with trend analysis and normalized valuation multiples.
- Financial statements: Revenue, net income, assets, liabilities, and equity for Saia, Inc. across multiple reporting periods.
- Financial health score: A composite score of 88/100 based on Altman Z-Score, Piotroski F-Score, profitability, and leverage metrics for SAIA.
- Sector peers: Compare SAIA against 6 other industrials stocks on key financial metrics.
Is SAIA a Good Stock to Buy?
This page provides data-driven analysis to help you evaluate Saia, Inc. (SAIA) as an investment. The financial health score of 88/100 suggests excellent financial fundamentals. Valuation metrics show whether the stock is trading above or below its historical average.However, this is not financial advice — always do your own research before investing.
Data on this page is sourced from real-time market feeds, Polygon.io, and Finnhub.Saia, Inc. (SAIA) trades on NYSE/NASDAQ. Pre-market trading occurs 4:00 AM – 9:30 AM ET. Regular market hours are 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET.