NYSE$CVLG

Covenant Logistics Group Inc · Q4 2023 earnings

Q4 2023 earnings · · Investor relations

Briefing

Covenant Logistics Group's financial performance for Q4 2023 was announced, with earnings of $0.93 per diluted share and non-GAAP adjusted earnings of $1.07 per diluted share reported.

Covenant Logistics Group reported Q4 earnings of $0.93 per diluted share and adjusted earnings of $1.07 per diluted share. The asset-based segments contributed approximately 67% of total revenue and 74% of operating income. The company's 49% equity method investment with Transport Enterprise Leasing contributed pre-tax net income of $4.7 million.

  • Earnings per diluted share were reported at $0.93.
  • Non-GAAP adjusted earnings per diluted share were $1.07.
  • Asset-based segments contributed approximately 67% of total revenue and 74% of operating income.
  • Managed Freight segment experienced significant reductions in revenue and profitability.

Headline financials

Total Revenue

$274M

Previous: $296M-7.5%
EPS (adj)

$0.54

Previous: $0.69-21.7%
Avg Freight Revenue per Tractor per Week

$5.34K

Previous: $5.42K-1.3%
Avg Freight Revenue per Total Mile

$2.31

Previous: $2.53-8.7%
Avg Miles per Tractor per Period

30.4K

Previous: 28.1K+8.2%
Weighted Avg Tractors for Period

2.1K

Previous: 2.2K-3.5%
Capital Expenditures

$106M

Previous: $39.1M+170.3%
Net Income

$12.8M

Previous: $11.5M+11.2%
Operating Income

$14.3M

Previous: -$1.98M+821.3%
Gross Profit

$29.8M

Previous: $38.9M-23.2%
Stock-Based Comp

$1.88M

Previous: $1.45M+30.4%

Revenue & EPS history

Covenant Logistics · Revenue · Quarterly

$274M

Q4 2023-7.5%vs Q4 2022
Beat estimate in 4 of 14 quarters(29%)
ActualEstimate

Revenue by segment

Covenant Logistics · $253M total across 4 segments · Q3 2023

  • Expedited - Truckload
    $91.7M—
  • Managed Freight
    $69.7M—
  • Dedicated - Truckload
    $66.9M—
  • Warehousing
    $25M—

Forward guidance

The company anticipates a continuation of difficult conditions where capacity continues to exit the market at a rate that yields steady but modest improvement. In the first quarter, the company expects revenue and earnings to decline, reflecting normal seasonality and temporary headwinds.

Tailwinds

  • The company's strategic plan is working.
  • The company reallocated a significant amount of fixed assets away from underperforming and highly cyclical legacy operations toward acquiring three high-performing, more steady businesses.
  • The result has been better margins, more stable earnings, and improved returns on capital compared with legacy operations during previous downturns.
  • The company is optimistic about its ability to make incremental improvements.
  • The company believes its more resilient operating model, together with the steps taken to reduce costs and inefficiencies, have positioned them well for another successful year.

Headwinds

  • The company does not see anything in the first half of the year that would indicate a near-term recovery of the freight market.
  • The company anticipates a continuation of difficult conditions where capacity continues to exit the market at a rate that yields steady but modest improvement.
  • In the first quarter, the company expects revenue and earnings to decline, reflecting normal seasonality
  • The company expects temporary headwinds of severe inclement weather conditions
  • The company expects year over year rate reductions in our Expedited segment and incremental costs associated with a large new customer startup within our Dedicated segment.

Historical earnings impact

How earnings announcements have historically affected this stock's price.

Avg. return before/after earnings

Based on 19 quarterly earnings reports · overlaid with Q4 2023

Historical avgQ4 2023

+0.3%

Avg return

Earnings day

+4.2%

Avg return

5 days after

+6.0%

Avg return

30 days after

53%

21 / 40 earnings

Positive

+17.5%

Q2 2022

Best reaction

-19.7%

Q3 2021

Worst reaction

Earnings price reactions
QuarterReport dateReaction (Day 0)+5 days+30 days
Q2 2026———
Q1 2026+0.5%+11.7%+19.6%
Q4 2025-4.4%+10.5%+13.9%
Q3 2025-9.4%-7.7%-12.7%
Q2 2025-1.8%-2.9%-5.0%
Q1 2025+10.4%+5.9%+17.0%
Q4 2024-2.9%-1.4%-11.7%
Q3 2024-2.3%-1.3%+9.9%
Q2 2024+6.8%+6.3%+4.6%
Q1 2024+1.1%+2.8%+7.2%
Q4 2023+2.7%+3.9%+6.5%
Q3 2023-6.3%-6.9%+1.4%
Q2 2023+13.0%+15.5%+3.9%
Q1 2023+14.7%+20.7%+14.3%
Q4 2022-19.4%-12.0%-6.2%
Q3 2022+3.9%+11.5%+23.0%
Q2 2022+17.5%+14.0%+10.8%
Q1 2022+8.4%+12.7%+17.2%
Q4 2021-4.5%-1.0%+2.3%
Q3 2021-19.7%-16.4%-19.0%
Q2 2021+5.8%+4.9%+18.4%
Q1 2021+9.2%+10.0%+13.3%
Q4 2020-7.1%-5.7%+16.1%
Q3 2020-11.1%-20.7%+6.6%
Q2 2020+6.1%+18.2%+1.9%
Q1 2020-1.2%+25.8%+56.3%
Q4 2019-2.1%+5.0%+19.4%
Q3 2019+1.5%+3.3%-14.9%
Q2 2019+4.1%+11.1%-4.8%
Q1 2019-3.9%-5.3%-20.0%
Q4 2018+0.7%+6.5%+10.8%
Q3 2018-1.8%-0.8%-6.2%
Q2 2018+1.4%+1.9%+1.0%
Q1 2018-3.2%-5.3%+3.7%
Q4 2017+1.6%+1.2%-11.1%
Q3 2017+4.4%+8.0%+9.2%
Q2 2017+1.7%+10.9%+26.6%
Q1 2017-0.4%+8.3%-1.2%
Q4 2016+0.6%+9.1%+0.5%
Q3 2016-1.1%+6.8%+26.8%
Q2 2016-0.7%+9.8%-7.8%
Q1 2016———
Q4 2015———
Q3 2015———
Q2 2015———
Q1 2015———
Q4 2014———
Q3 2014———
Q2 2014———
Q1 2014———
Q4 2013———
Q3 2013———
Q2 2013———
Q1 2013———
Q4 2012———
Q3 2012———
Q2 2012———
Q1 2012———
Q2 2011———
Q4 2011———
Q4 2009———
Q3 2011———
Q4 2010———
Q1 2011———
Q3 2010———
Q2 2010———
Q1 2010———

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