AI Takeaway
C.H. Robinson reported Q1 2026 results with revenue slightly down 0.8% YoY to $4.01B, but net income surged 8.8% to $147.2M and EPS rose 9.9% to $1.22 diluted, reflecting improved profitability despite softer top-line performance.
Revenue
$4.01B
-0.84% YoY
EPS (Basic)
$1.23
++9.82% YoY
Operating Income
$175.69M
-0.66% YoY
Filed · Source: SEC EDGAR 10-Q filing
Total revenue fell 0.8% YoY to $4.01B in Q1 2026 from $4.05B in Q1 2025, yet operating margin held essentially flat at 4.38% vs. 4.37%, suggesting the company maintained cost discipline even as freight market conditions pressured the top line.
Source: Source: 10-Q Income Statement Data
Net income grew 8.8% YoY to $147.2M despite the revenue dip, indicating meaningful improvement in below-the-line items such as interest expense, tax rate, or non-operating income, which drove the net margin to 3.67%.
Source: Source: 10-Q Income Statement Data
Share repurchases surged 345.8% YoY to $212.7M in Q1 2026 compared to $47.7M in Q1 2025, signaling strong management confidence in the stock's value and a more aggressive capital return strategy.
Source: Source: 10-Q Cash Flow Statement Data
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Upgrade to unlockC.H. Robinson's revenue declined 0.8% YoY to $4.01B, reflecting ongoing sensitivity to freight market pricing and volume fluctuations. As a non-asset-based freight broker, the company's net revenue is directly tied to the spread between carrier costs and customer rates, which can compress rapidly in soft freight markets.
Source: Source: 10-Q Income Statement Data
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Upgrade to unlockReported EPS of $1.35 versus the $1.26 analyst consensus — a +6.8% beat for Q1 FY2026.
| Metric | Current | Previous | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Revenue | $4.01B | $4.05B | -0.84% |
Operating Income | $175.69M | $176.85M | -0.66% |
Net Income | $147.23M | $135.3M | +8.82% |
EPS (Basic) | $1.23 | $1.12 | +9.82% |
EPS (Diluted) | $1.22 | $1.11 | +9.91% |
| Metric | Current | Previous | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Total Assets | $5.24B | $5.23B | +0.18% |
Current Assets | $3.01B | $2.92B | +2.86% |
Total Liabilities | $3.53B | $3.49B | +1.14% |
Current Liabilities | $1.9B | $2.26B | -16.21% |
Stockholders' Equity | $1.7B | $1.73B | -1.76% |
Cash & Equivalents | $159.66M | $129.94M | +22.87% |
Long-Term Debt | $1.34B | $1.39B | -3.40% |
| Metric | Current | Previous | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Operating Cash Flow | $68.6M | $106.53M | -35.61% |
Investing Cash Flow | $-3.34M | $11.65M | -128.64% |
Financing Cash Flow | $-66.41M | $-146.21M | +54.58% |
Dividends Paid | $79.03M | $77.49M | +1.99% |
Share Buybacks | $212.66M | $47.7M | +345.83% |
| Metric | Current | Previous | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Operating Margin | 4.4% | 4.4% | +0.01% |
Net Margin | 3.7% | — | — |
ROE | 8.6% | — | — |
ROA | 2.8% | — | — |
Current Ratio | $1.586 | — | — |
Debt to Equity | $2.072 | — | — |
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CHRW reported Q1 2026 diluted EPS of $1.22, up 9.9% from $1.11 in Q1 2025. Whether this beat consensus analyst estimates is not determinable from the filing alone, but the strong YoY EPS growth driven by net income of $147.2M (+8.8%) represents a solid bottom-line performance.
The key takeaways are that revenue dipped slightly to $4.01B (-0.8% YoY) while net income surged 8.8% to $147.2M, showing improved profitability. Additionally, CHRW dramatically increased share buybacks to $212.7M (up 345.8% YoY), though operating cash flow fell 35.6% to $68.6M, raising questions about the sustainability of capital returns.
C.H. Robinson's revenue declined modestly by 0.8% YoY to $4.01B in Q1 2026, compared to $4.05B in Q1 2025. This slight decline reflects ongoing freight market softness, though the company managed to hold operating margins essentially flat at 4.38%.
CHRW's financial health is mixed: the current ratio improved to 1.59x and cash grew 22.9% to $159.7M, indicating adequate short-term liquidity. However, the debt-to-equity ratio is elevated at 2.07x with $1.34B in long-term debt, and operating cash flow fell 35.6% YoY to $68.6M, which bears watching given the company's aggressive $212.7M in share buybacks during the quarter.
CHRW's net income rose 8.8% to $147.2M even as revenue fell 0.8% to $4.01B, suggesting improvements in below-the-line items such as lower interest expense (long-term debt declined 3.4% YoY to $1.34B) or a more favorable effective tax rate. Operating income was essentially flat at $175.7M, so the net income outperformance versus operating income points to non-operating improvements driving the bottom-line beat.