Old Dominion Freight Line Reports Q3 Revenue Drop to $1.41 Billion Amid Freight Recession
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 03 2026
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Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Revenue Decline: Old Dominion Freight Line reported total revenue of approximately $1.41 billion in Q3 2025, a 4.3% year-over-year decrease, reflecting the broader market's freight recession and increased pressure on the company's performance.
- Profitability Impact: Net income fell, with diluted earnings per share dropping 10.5% year-over-year to $1.28, while the operating ratio increased to 74.3%, indicating that fixed costs did not decrease in tandem with falling revenues, thus compressing margins.
- Weak Volume Trends: LTL tons per day decreased by 9% in Q3, with daily shipments down 7.9%, highlighting significant challenges in the current economic environment, although pricing remained firm with a 4.7% year-over-year increase in LTL revenue per hundredweight.
- Ongoing Capital Returns: Despite the downturn, Old Dominion returned approximately $782.6 million to shareholders in the first nine months of 2025, including $605.4 million in share repurchases and $177.2 million in dividends, demonstrating the company's commitment to shareholder value and confidence in long-term investments.
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Analyst Views on ODFL
Wall Street analysts forecast ODFL stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for ODFL is 162.18 USD with a low forecast of 114.00 USD and a high forecast of 196.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
18 Analyst Rating
7 Buy
8 Hold
3 Sell
Hold
Current: 172.720
Low
114.00
Averages
162.18
High
196.00
Current: 172.720
Low
114.00
Averages
162.18
High
196.00
About ODFL
Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. is a less-than-truckload (LTL) motor carrier. The Company provides regional, inter-regional and national LTL services through a single integrated, union-free organization. Its service offerings, which include expedited transportation, are provided through an expansive network of service centers located throughout the continental United States. It offers a range of value-added services including container drayage, truckload brokerage and supply chain consulting. It operates approximately 261 service center locations, of which it owns 239 and leased 22. Its service centers are responsible for the pickup and delivery of freight within their local service area. Its systems allow it to offer its customers access to information, such as freight tracking, shipping documents, rate quotes, rate databases and account activity. Its integrated systems and customer service department provide its customers with a single point of contact to access information.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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