Are You Expecting This from Saia?

Saia (Nasdaq: SAIA  ) is expected to report Q4 earnings on Jan. 30. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Saia's revenues will expand 3.6% and EPS will expand 113.3%.

The average estimate for revenue is $262.1 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.32.

Revenue details
Last quarter, Saia recorded revenue of $278.0 million. GAAP reported sales were 3.6% higher than the prior-year quarter's $268.3 million.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
Last quarter, EPS came in at $0.56. GAAP EPS of $0.56 for Q3 were 87% higher than the prior-year quarter's $0.30 per share.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Recent performance
For the preceding quarter, gross margin was 13.7%, 280 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 5.9%, 230 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 3.3%, 150 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead

The full year's average estimate for revenue is $1.10 billion. The average EPS estimate is $1.93.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a five-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 103 members out of 114 rating the stock outperform, and 11 members rating it underperform. Among 26 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 23 give Saia a green thumbs-up, and three give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Saia is outperform, with an average price target of $30.33.

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