Landstar System, Inc (NASDAQ:LSTR) Posts Margin Gains; Price Momentum Favors Near-Term Stabilization

Landstar shows improved profitability metrics alongside mixed momentum signals; technical momentum suggests consolidation near current highs while fundamentals highlight valuation premium versus peers.

Recent News

On April 2, 2026 the company announced a change in legal leadership, naming an interim general counsel after the prior general counsel departed. On April 28, 2026 Landstar reported first-quarter 2026 results, citing revenue of $1.171 billion and diluted EPS of $1.16, and noting a strong cash-and-short-term-investments position of about $411 million.

Technical Analysis

Directional indicators (ADX / DI+ / DI-): ADX at 29.32 signals a strong trend environment; DI+ shows a dip-and-reversal (DI+ increasing), supplying bullish directional pressure, while DI- also shows a dip-and-reversal (DI- increasing), which exerts bearish counterpressure. Together, the directional picture implies competing forces that support short-term consolidation rather than a clean breakout, which aligns with the view of stabilization in the intro.

MACD: MACD sits at 6.02 with the MACD signal at 5.50, so MACD remains above its signal line (a bullish signal). However, the MACD trend registers a peak-and-reversal, which indicates waning bullish momentum and raises the probability of a near-term momentum cooling that could check upside relative to the WMDST valuation.

MRO (Momentum/Regression Oscillator): MRO reads 7.61 and remains positive, indicating price sits above WMDST’s target and carries an elevated probability of a reversion down toward valuation-aligned levels; this reinforces the MACD signal that momentum has likely peaked.

RSI and price context: RSI at 63.34 with a peak-and-reversal trend signals reduced upward momentum from recent highs. Price trades at $181.56, above the 12-day EMA ($178.80, increasing), above the 20-day average ($177.55), the 50-day average ($162.37) and the 200-day average ($141.64), so moving-average structure remains bullish even as momentum indicators show exhaustion—consistent with a consolidation regime close to near-term resistance around the upper Bollinger band (~$183.70).

Support, volatility, and volume: The super trend lower support sits near $177.49; the 20-day standard deviation at $6.15 keeps the 1x upper band near $183.70. Ten-day average volume slightly exceeds recent sessions, but current session volume (~483k) tracks below the 10-day average (~507k), signaling limited conviction on intraday moves and supporting a stabilization outlook rather than directional expansion.

 


Fundamental Analysis

Profitability and margins: Operating (EBIT) margin measures 4.29% (operating income $50,262,000 on revenue $1,171,291,000). That margin improved QoQ by 76.512% and improved YoY by 38.063% as reported. Compared with the industry peer mean operating margin of 32.305% and median of 40.078%, Landstar’s operating margin sits below the industry peer mean and median, reflecting lower margin capture relative to peers despite recent improvement.

Earnings and cash generation: Reported EPS was $1.16 versus an estimate of $1.12, producing an EPS surprise of +3.57%. Operating cash flow equals $78,211,000 and free cash flow equals $72,397,000, yielding a free-cash-flow yield of 1.33% and a cash-flow-to-earnings multiple of ~1.40, indicating cash generation roughly in line with earnings and a solid absolute cash conversion profile.

Liquidity and balance sheet: Cash and short-term investments total $410,952,000; current ratio stands at 1.88 and the cash ratio at 0.65, supporting near-term obligations. Debt metrics show low leverage: debt-to-assets at 7.72% and debt-to-equity at 15.48%, both well below the industry peer mean debt-to-assets of 40.304% and peer mean debt-to-equity of 136.993%, indicating a conservative capital structure relative to peers.

Returns: Return on equity equals 4.94% and return on assets equals 2.44%; both improved QoQ and YoY but remain below the industry peer mean return on equity of 6.376%, suggesting returns that improved but still lag peer averages.

Revenue trends: The company reported total revenue of $1,171,291,000. Reported quarter-over-quarter revenue change shows a decline of 89.443% QoQ and revenue change year-over-year of -94.233% YoY per the provided metrics; overall trailing revenue growth logged -0.271% (a small negative). These reported QoQ and YoY figures indicate a large sequential and annual swing in the provided growth metrics that require careful reconciliation on company disclosures.

Valuation: Price multiples sit at a trailing P/E of 138.04x and P/B of 6.80x, with forward P/E about 85.77x. WMDST values the stock as over-valued. Relative to the industry peer mean P/B of 4.568, Landstar’s P/B sits above the peer mean while trailing and forward P/E metrics also sit below some peer mean ranges but remain elevated in absolute terms versus typical transport/logistics comparables; that premium, combined with positive cash balances and low leverage, underpins the WMDST over-valued designation.

MOST-RECENT QUARTERLY REPORT
REPORT PERIOD ENDING: 2026-03-31
REPORT DATE: 2026-04-28
NEXT REPORT DATE: 2026-07-28
CASH FLOW  Begin Period Cash Flow 396.7 M
 Operating Cash Flow 78.2 M
 Capital Expenditures -5.81 M
 Change In Working Capital 25.6 M
 Dividends Paid -81.73 M
 Cash Flow Delta -43.44 M
 End Period Cash Flow 353.3 M
 
INCOME STATEMENT REVENUE
 Total Revenue 1.2 B
 Forward Revenue 441.3 M
COSTS
 Cost Of Revenue 1.0 B
 Depreciation 10.6 M
 Depreciation and Amortization 10.6 M
 Research and Development
 Total Operating Expenses 1.1 B
PROFITABILITY
 Gross Profit 161.6 M
 EBITDA 60.8 M
 EBIT 50.3 M
 Operating Income 50.3 M
 Interest Income -518.00 K
 Interest Expense
 Net Interest Income -518.00 K
 Income Before Tax 52.7 M
 Tax Provision 13.3 M
 Tax Rate 25.187 %
 Net Income 39.4 M
 Net Income From Continuing Operations 39.4 M
EARNINGS
 EPS Estimate 1.12
 EPS Actual 1.16
 EPS Difference 0.04
 EPS Surprise 3.571 %
 Forward EPS 1.75
 
BALANCE SHEET ASSETS
 Total Assets 1.6 B
 Intangible Assets 34.0 M
 Net Tangible Assets 765.0 M
 Total Current Assets 1.2 B
 Cash and Short-Term Investments 411.0 M
 Cash 353.3 M
 Net Receivables 692.0 M
 Inventory
 Long-Term Investments 128.9 M
LIABILITIES
 Accounts Payable 396.7 M
 Short-Term Debt 54.4 M
 Total Current Liabilities 630.7 M
 Net Debt
 Total Debt 123.7 M
 Total Liabilities 803.2 M
EQUITY
 Total Equity 799.0 M
 Retained Earnings 2.9 B
VALUATION & PER-SHARE METRICS EQUITY & PER-SHARE METRICS
 Book Value Per-Share 23.55
 Shares Outstanding 33.928 M
 Revenue Per-Share 34.52
VALUATION
 Market Capitalization 5.4 B
 Enterprise Value 5.1 B
 Enterprise Multiple 84.598
Enterprise Multiple QoQ -27.002 %
Enterprise Multiple YoY -15.111 %
Enterprise Multiple IPRWA high: 87.45
LSTR: 84.598
median: 55.129
mean: -41.898
low: -928.252
 EV/R 4.393
CAPITAL STRUCTURE
 Asset To Equity 2.005
 Asset To Liability 1.995
 Debt To Capital 0.134
 Debt To Assets 0.077
Debt To Assets QoQ -5.368 %
Debt To Assets YoY -13.577 %
Debt To Assets IPRWA high: 0.676
median: 0.437
mean: 0.403
low: 0.223
LSTR: 0.077
 Debt To Equity 0.155
Debt To Equity QoQ -7.708 %
Debt To Equity YoY -6.016 %
Debt To Equity IPRWA high: 5.157
median: 1.424
mean: 1.37
low: 0.377
LSTR: 0.155
PRICE-BASED VALUATION
 Price To Book (P/B) 6.8
Price To Book QoQ 11.663 %
Price To Book YoY 23.889 %
Price To Book IPRWA high: 12.508
LSTR: 6.8
median: 4.929
mean: 4.568
low: -1.979
 Price To Earnings (P/E) 138.036
Price To Earnings QoQ -27.225 %
Price To Earnings YoY -19.734 %
Price To Earnings IPRWA high: 316.07
mean: 165.921
LSTR: 138.036
median: 81.604
low: 64.563
 PE/G Ratio 2.101
 Price To Sales (P/S) 4.638
Price To Sales QoQ 12.431 %
Price To Sales YoY 4.643 %
Price To Sales IPRWA high: 23.504
median: 19.499
mean: 15.617
LSTR: 4.638
low: 0.58
FORWARD MULTIPLES
Forward P/E 85.769
Forward PE/G 1.305
Forward P/S 12.31
EFFICIENCY OPERATIONAL
 Operating Leverage -280.98
ASSET & SALES
 Asset Turnover Ratio 0.723
Asset Turnover Ratio QoQ 1.578 %
Asset Turnover Ratio YoY 10.775 %
Asset Turnover Ratio IPRWA LSTR: 0.723
high: 0.256
mean: 0.104
median: 0.089
low: 0.031
 Receivables Turnover 1.72
Receivables Turnover Ratio QoQ 0.02 %
Receivables Turnover Ratio YoY 3.485 %
Receivables Turnover Ratio IPRWA high: 6.815
mean: 3.477
median: 3.295
LSTR: 1.72
low: 1.376
 Inventory Turnover
Inventory Turnover Ratio QoQ
Inventory Turnover Ratio YoY
Inventory Turnover Ratio IPRWA
 Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) 53.06
CASH CYCLE
 Cash Conversion Cycle Days (CCC) 18.751
Cash Conversion Cycle Days QoQ
Cash Conversion Cycle Days YoY -12.735 %
Cash Conversion Cycle Days IPRWA high: 72.547
median: 26.599
LSTR: 18.751
mean: 11.909
low: -47.26
CAPITAL DEPLOYMENT
 Cash Conversion Ratio 2.119
 CapEx To Revenue -0.005
 CapEx To Depreciation -0.551
 
CAPITAL, LIQUIDITY & COVERAGE CAPITAL STRUCTURE
 Total Capital 799.0 M
 Net Invested Capital 853.4 M
 Invested Capital 853.4 M
 Net Tangible Assets 765.0 M
 Net Working Capital 552.9 M
LIQUIDITY
 Cash Ratio 0.652
 Current Ratio 1.877
Current Ratio QoQ 7.356 %
Current Ratio YoY -7.455 %
Current Ratio IPRWA high: 2.096
LSTR: 1.877
mean: 0.93
median: 0.916
low: 0.418
 Quick Ratio
Quick Ratio QoQ
Quick Ratio YoY
Quick Ratio IPRWA
COVERAGE & LEVERAGE
 Debt To EBITDA 2.034
 Cost Of Debt 0.68 %
 Interest Coverage Ratio 42.996
Interest Coverage Ratio QoQ 76.031 %
Interest Coverage Ratio YoY 40.314 %
Interest Coverage Ratio IPRWA LSTR: 42.996
high: 7.966
median: 5.991
mean: 5.703
low: -1.35
 Operating Cash Flow Ratio 0.088
TIMING / LIQUIDITY
 Days Payables Outstanding (DPO) 34.309
DIVIDENDS
 Dividend Coverage Ratio 0.483
 Dividend Payout Ratio 2.072
 Dividend Rate 2.41
 Dividend Yield 0.015
PERFORMANCE GROWTH
 Asset Growth Rate -2.062 %
 Revenue Growth -0.271 %
Revenue Growth QoQ -89.443 %
Revenue Growth YoY -94.233 %
Revenue Growth IPRWA high: 2.169 %
mean: 0.274 %
median: -0.115 %
LSTR: -0.271 %
low: -1.904 %
 Earnings Growth 65.714 %
Earnings Growth QoQ -270.575 %
Earnings Growth YoY -287.139 %
Earnings Growth IPRWA LSTR: 65.714 %
high: 14.773 %
mean: 3.443 %
median: -55.042 %
low: -188.889 %
MARGINS
 Gross Margin 13.796 %
Gross Margin QoQ 4.192 %
Gross Margin YoY 6.648 %
Gross Margin IPRWA high: 55.318 %
median: 40.26 %
mean: 38.035 %
LSTR: 13.796 %
low: -0.26 %
 EBIT Margin 4.291 %
EBIT Margin QoQ 76.512 %
EBIT Margin YoY 38.063 %
EBIT Margin IPRWA high: 47.784 %
median: 40.078 %
mean: 32.305 %
LSTR: 4.291 %
low: -8.616 %
 Return On Sales (ROS) 4.291 %
Return On Sales QoQ 76.512 %
Return On Sales YoY 38.063 %
Return On Sales IPRWA high: 46.256 %
median: 35.985 %
mean: 31.546 %
LSTR: 4.291 %
low: -10.0 %
CASH FLOW
 Free Cash Flow (FCF) 72.4 M
 Free Cash Flow Yield 1.333 %
Free Cash Flow Yield QoQ -8.385 %
Free Cash Flow Yield YoY 26.591 %
Free Cash Flow Yield IPRWA high: 4.59 %
mean: 1.594 %
LSTR: 1.333 %
median: 1.029 %
low: -2.37 %
 Free Cash Growth 2.682 %
Free Cash Growth QoQ -114.853 %
Free Cash Growth YoY -349.721 %
Free Cash Growth IPRWA high: 22.594 %
LSTR: 2.682 %
median: -17.234 %
mean: -69.756 %
low: -617.715 %
 Free Cash To Net Income 1.836
 Cash Flow Margin 4.713 %
 Cash Flow To Earnings 1.4
VALUE & RETURNS
 Economic Value Added 0.04
 Return On Assets (ROA) 2.436 %
Return On Assets QoQ 67.769 %
Return On Assets YoY 44.227 %
Return On Assets IPRWA high: 3.511 %
LSTR: 2.436 %
median: 1.836 %
mean: 1.783 %
low: -1.923 %
 Return On Capital Employed (ROCE) 5.174 %
 Return On Equity (ROE) 0.049
Return On Equity QoQ 64.041 %
Return On Equity YoY 54.154 %
Return On Equity IPRWA high: 0.129
mean: 0.064
median: 0.059
LSTR: 0.049
low: -0.014
 DuPont ROE 4.946 %
 Return On Invested Capital (ROIC) 4.406 %
Return On Invested Capital QoQ 60.979 %
Return On Invested Capital YoY 61.688 %
Return On Invested Capital IPRWA LSTR: 4.406 %
high: 3.885 %
median: 2.813 %
mean: 2.386 %
low: -1.789 %

Six-Week Outlook

Near-term technical structure favors consolidation around the $178–$184 zone: moving averages support higher prices but momentum indicators (MACD peak-and-reversal, RSI peak-and-reversal, positive MRO) indicate an elevated risk of a pullback toward short-term support near the super trend lower (~$177.49) and the 12-day EMA (~$178.80). Fundamental signals show improving margins and solid cash, but WMDST’s valuation assessment labels the stock over-valued, implying limited upside without further fundamental rerating. Expect range-bound action with episodic tests of support; any sustained break above the recent upper Bollinger band (~$183.70) would require fresh momentum reinvigoration, while a loss of the $177 area would likely invite deeper consolidation consistent with the valuation gap.

About Landstar System, Inc.

Landstar System, Inc. (NASDAQ:LSTR) delivers integrated transportation management solutions across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and internationally. The company operates through two main segments: Transportation Logistics and Insurance. The Transportation Logistics segment provides an extensive range of services, including truckload and less-than-truckload transportation, rail intermodal, air and ocean cargo, expedited delivery, and specialized heavy-haul services. It also facilitates cross-border transportation between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and handles project cargo and customs brokerage. Landstar serves diverse industries such as automotive, consumer durables, building products, metals, chemicals, foodstuffs, heavy machinery, retail, electronics, and military equipment. In the Insurance segment, Landstar offers risk and claims management services, along with reinsurance for its independent contractors. The company markets its services through a network of independent commission sales agents and third-party capacity providers. Established in 1991, Landstar System, Inc. maintains its headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida, and continues to support a wide array of industries with its comprehensive transportation and logistics solutions.



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