Schneider National, Inc. (SNDR) looks cheap from a valuation standpoint. Considering the forward 12-month price-to-sales ratio (P/S-F12M), Schneider is trading at a discount compared to the industry.
The stock has a forward 12-month P/S-F12M of 1.03X compared with 1.52X for the industry over the past five years. These factors indicate that the stock’s valuation is attractive. Schneider has a Value Score of B.
Schneider P/S Ratio (Forward 12 Months) Vs. Industry
Given this backdrop, the question now arises whether it is worth buying, holding, or selling the Schneider stock at current prices. Let us delve deeper to find out.
Tailwinds Working in Favor of Schneider Stock
Schneider’s management provided upbeat full-year 2026 earnings guidance. The company expects its 2026 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) to be in the range of 70 cents to $1.00, which is above the 2025 adjusted EPS of 63 cents. The upside is expected to have been aided by the cost reduction initiatives. With the successful attainment of cost savings target in 2025, SNDR is hopeful to achieve another $40 million in targeted cost savings in 2026. SNDR aims to boost its earnings by leveraging productivity and asset efficiency actions while improving the topline without incremental growth investments. The Zacks Consensus Estimate is currently pegged at 90 cents per share.
Schneider’s solid balance sheet increases financial flexibility. The company ended first-quarter 2026 with cash and cash equivalents of $227.8 million and the current debt level of $10.7 million. This implies that the company has sufficient cash to meet its current debt obligations. Further, SNDR’s long-term debt has declined to $388.1 million at the end of first-quarter 2026 from $565.8 million at the end of first-quarter 2025.
A strong balance sheet enables the company to reward shareholders with dividends and share repurchases. As a reflection of its shareholder-friendly stance, in 2022, 2023 and 2024, SNDR paid dividends of $55.7 million, $63.6 million and $66.6 million, respectively. As of March 31, 2026, the company had returned $17.1 million in the form of dividends to shareholders year to date.
SNDR is also active on the buyback front. In January 2026, SNDR’s board of directors approved a new stock repurchase program, effective immediately, under which up to $150 million of the company’s outstanding Class A common stock, and/or Class B common stock, may be acquired over the next three years. This share buyback program supersedes and replaces the $150 million stock repurchase authorization approved by SNDR’s board on Jan. 31, 2023 (the “Prior Repurchase Program”), which is scheduled to expire on Jan. 31, 2026, and is substantially similar to the Prior Repurchase Program.
SNDR repurchased 4.4 million shares for a total of $110.1 million under the Prior Repurchase Program. As of March 31, 2026, the company had repurchased a total of 0.2 million Class B shares amounting to $5.2 million under the new program. Buybacks not only reduce the total outstanding share count, thereby increasing earnings per share, but also signal management’s belief in the intrinsic value of the stock. Such shareholder-friendly moves instill investor confidence and positively impact the company’s bottom line.
Schneider Stock’s Price Performance
Shares of Schneider have gained 38.3% so far this year, outperforming the transportation-services industry’s 11.8% increase, as well as that of other industry players, Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (EXPD) and C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (CHRW).
Schneider Stock’s YTD Price Comparison
What Do Earnings Estimates Say for SNDR?
The positive sentiment surrounding Schneider stock is evident from the fact that the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the second quarter of 2026 and the third quarter of 2026 earnings has been revised upward in the past 90 days. The consensus mark for 2026 and 2027 earnings has also been projected northward in the past 90 days.
The favorable estimate revisions indicate brokers’ confidence in the stock.
Time to Buy Schneider Stock
Apart from being attractively valued, Schneider stock is being well-served by its focus on the successful attainment of cost reduction initiatives. SNDR aims to boost its earnings by leveraging productivity and asset efficiency actions while improving the topline without incremental growth investments. Initiatives to reward its shareholders through dividends and buybacks are praiseworthy as well.
We believe that the positives surrounding the stock (as highlighted throughout the write-up) outweigh the concerns regarding an increase in third-party carrier capacity costs, unplanned auto production shutdowns, raised healthcare costs, higher maintenance costs, lower gains on sale of assets, and increased fuel expense, lower brokerage volume, risks associated with an ongoing volatile macro environment and geopolitical tensions. We, therefore, suggest investors add Schneider stock to their portfolios for healthy returns. The company’s Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) further supports our thesis. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Beyond Nvidia: AI’s Second Wave Is Here
The AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren’t likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. AI’s second wave is moving from infrastructure to implementation and these companies are at the forefront of this transition, positioned to become what Amazon and Google were to the internet era.
See Stocks Now >>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Schneider National, Inc. (SNDR) : Free Stock Analysis Report
C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (CHRW) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (EXPD) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
Zacks Investment Research
