C.H. Robinson Reports 2026 First Quarter Results

C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (“C.H. Robinson”) (Nasdaq: CHRW) today reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2026.

First Quarter Highlights:

• C.H. Robinson continues to deliver secular earnings growth driven by market share gains, disciplined revenue management, a cost of hire advantage versus the market, and evergreen productivity improvements fueled by its Lean AI strategy
• North American Surface Transportation ("NAST") total volume was flat year-over-year compared to a 6.2% decline in the Cass Freight Shipment Index
• NAST adjusted gross profit margin⁽¹⁾ held flat at 14.6% despite a significant increase in truckload spot market costs
• Income from operations decreased 0.7% to $175.7 million
• Adjusted income from operations⁽¹⁾ increased 5.6% to $195.9 million
• Diluted earnings per share (EPS) increased 9.9% to $1.22
• Adjusted diluted EPS⁽¹⁾ increased 15.4% to $1.35
• Cash generated by operations decreased by $37.9 million to $68.6 million, primarily due to unfavorable changes in net operating working capital caused by higher truckload prices
• Cash returned to shareholders increased 105.6% to $359.8 million

"As has been widely discussed in recent months, the North American trucking market has entered a period of supply-driven tightening," said President and Chief Executive Officer, Dave Bozeman. "As that has occurred, we’ve heard old tapes being replayed regarding which transportation providers benefit most during certain parts of the truckload cycle. But those storylines don't fully appreciate the secular earnings growth that has consistently been generated at the new C.H. Robinson regardless of market conditions."

"The first quarter of 2026 was another example of this, and our adjusted earnings per share increased 15% year-over-year despite a significant increase in truckload spot market costs," Bozeman added. "We continued to outperform by opportunistically capturing transactional volumes at higher margins as the industry’s tender rejection rates increased, by continuing to exercise our disciplined revenue management practices, by repricing some of our contractual business in a very targeted fashion, and by continuing to widen our cost of hire advantage, all of which have improved as we implemented our Lean operating model. This enabled us to optimize our adjusted gross profit per truckload shipment and maintain our NAST gross margin despite having to absorb the elevated cost of capacity. Additionally, we gained market share in our NAST business for the 12th consecutive quarter, and we continued to deliver evergreen productivity improvements across our business."

"Over the past year, we’ve consistently said that we’re not immune to macroeconomic conditions or an inflection in spot costs, but that we are managing those conditions better than we have in the past and better than our competitors. Our first quarter performance puts another check mark on our say-do scorecard."

"Our ability to consistently outperform over the last two plus years is a result of focusing on controlling what we can control and the strength of our Lean AI strategy. Lean AI is our unique, disciplined approach to AI innovation that is transforming supply chains. It combines the principles of our Robinson operating model – rooted in Lean methodology – with the power of custom-built AI, and the expertise of our people, to maximize value, minimize waste, and drive better outcomes for customers and carriers. As we continue to purposefully engineer our work to drive higher automation, an industry-leading cost to serve and improved customer outcomes, all of this is aimed at building the best model for demonstrable outgrowth while continuing to have industry-leading operating margins."

"I’m proud of our employees for navigating ever-changing market conditions with discipline and ingenuity, and for embracing the culture shift that has fundamentally changed this company. As the pacesetter for innovation in our industry, we will continue to use our domain expertise to build technology that delivers on our customer promise and drives higher value for all our stakeholders," said Bozeman.

Summary of First Quarter of 2026 Results Compared to the First Quarter of 2025

• Total revenues decreased 0.8% to $4.0 billion, primarily driven by lower volume in our ocean and truckload services and lower pricing in our ocean services. This was partially offset by higher pricing in our truckload and less than truckload ("LTL") services.
• Gross profits decreased 1.6% to $646.6 million. Adjusted gross profits⁽¹⁾ decreased 1.9% to $660.5 million, primarily driven by lower adjusted gross profit per transaction and lower volume in our ocean services. This was partially offset by higher adjusted gross profit per transaction in our LTL services.
• Operating expenses decreased 2.3% to $484.8 million. Personnel expenses increased 1.2% to $352.7 million, primarily due to higher restructuring charges related to workforce reductions. This was partially offset by cost optimization efforts and productivity improvements. Average employee headcount declined 12.3%. Other selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses decreased 10.6% to $132.1 million, primarily due to a prior year impairment charge on our Kansas City regional center lease resulting from the execution of a sublease agreement on a portion of the building. In addition, other SG&A expenses declined across several expense categories in 2026 due to cost optimization efforts.
• Income from operations totaled $175.7 million, down 0.7% due to the decrease in adjusted gross profit and higher restructuring charges, partially offset by the decrease in operating expenses. Adjusted operating margin⁽¹⁾ of 26.6% increased 30 basis points.
• Interest and other income/expense, net totaled $9.0 million of expense, consisting primarily of $14.0 million of interest expense, which decreased $2.8 million versus last year due to a lower average debt balance and lower variable interest rates. The first quarter of 2026 results also include a $1.7 million net gain from foreign currency revaluation and realized foreign currency gains and losses.
• The effective tax rate in the quarter was 11.7% compared to 13.7% in the first quarter of 2025. The lower rate in the first quarter of 2026 was driven by higher tax benefits related to stock-compensation deliveries, partially offset by non-recurring discrete items and lower U.S. and foreign tax credits and incentives.
• Net income totaled $147.2 million, up 8.8% from a year ago. Diluted EPS of $1.22 increased 9.9%. Adjusted diluted EPS⁽¹⁾ of $1.35 increased 15.4%.

North American Surface Transportation (“NAST”) Results

Summarized financial results of our NAST segment are as follows (dollars in thousands):

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First quarter total revenues for the NAST segment totaled $2.9 billion, an increase of 2.8% over the prior year, primarily driven by higher pricing in our truckload and LTL services. NAST adjusted gross profits increased 3.0% in the quarter to $431.1 million. Adjusted gross profits in truckload decreased 1.9% due to a 3.5% decrease in volume, which was partially offset by a 1.5% increase in adjusted gross profit per shipment. Our average truckload linehaul rate per mile charged to our customers, which excludes fuel surcharges, increased approximately 11.0% in the quarter compared to the prior year, while truckload linehaul cost per mile, excluding fuel surcharges, increased 13.0%, resulting in a 1.0% increase in truckload adjusted gross profit per mile. LTL adjusted gross profits increased 10.5% versus the year-ago period, driven by an 8.5% increase in adjusted gross profit per order and a 2.0% increase in LTL volume. Total NAST truckload and LTL volume was flat versus the year-ago period and outpaced the market indices. Operating expenses increased 4.1%, primarily due to restructuring charges related to workforce reductions in the current year, partially offset by cost optimization efforts and productivity improvements. First quarter average employee headcount was down 10.0% year-over-year. Income from operations increased 1.0% to $145.1 million, and adjusted operating margin declined 60 basis points to 33.7%. Adjusted operating margin - excluding restructuring⁽¹⁾ increased 310 basis points to 37.4%.

Global Forwarding Results

Summarized financial results of our Global Forwarding segment are as follows (dollars in thousands):

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First quarter total revenues for the Global Forwarding segment decreased 14.2% to $664.7 million, primarily driven by lower volume and pricing in our ocean services. Adjusted gross profits decreased 12.1% in the quarter to $162.3 million. Ocean adjusted gross profits decreased 22.1%, driven by a 12.5% decrease in adjusted gross profit per shipment and a 10.5% decline in shipments. Air adjusted gross profits decreased 0.5%, driven by a 15.0% decline in metric tons shipped, partially offset by a 16.5% increase in adjusted gross profit per metric ton shipped. Customs adjusted gross profits increased 20.0%, driven by a 22.0% increase in adjusted gross profit per transaction, partially offset by a 2.0% reduction in transaction volume. Operating expenses decreased 7.8%, primarily due to cost optimization efforts and productivity improvements and lower incentive compensation. First quarter average employee headcount decreased 14.8% year-over-year. Income from operations decreased 26.2% to $31.7 million, and adjusted operating margin declined 380 basis points to 19.5% in the quarter. Adjusted operating margin - excluding restructuring⁽¹⁾ declined 220 basis points to 21.1%.

All Other and Corporate Results

Total revenues and adjusted gross profits for Robinson Fresh, Managed Solutions and Other Surface Transportation are summarized as follows (dollars in thousands):

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First quarter Robinson Fresh adjusted gross profits decreased 0.4% to $37.5 million driven by margin compression in retail customers. Managed Solutions adjusted gross profits increased 6.3% due to an increase in freight under management.

Other Income Statement Items

Interest and other income/expense, net totaled $9.0 million of expense, consisting primarily of $14.0 million of interest expense, which decreased $2.8 million versus the first quarter of 2025 due to a lower average debt balance and lower variable interest rates. The first quarter of 2026 results also include a $1.7 million net gain from foreign currency revaluation and realized foreign currency gains and losses.

The first quarter effective tax rate was 11.7%, down from 13.7% in the first quarter of 2025. The lower rate in the first quarter of 2026 was driven by higher tax benefits related to stock-compensation deliveries, partially offset by non-recurring discrete items and lower U.S. and foreign tax credits and incentives. For 2026, we expect our full-year effective tax rate to be 18% to 20%.

Diluted weighted average shares outstanding in the quarter were down 0.8% year-over-year.

Cash Flow Generation and Capital Distribution

Cash generated from operations totaled $68.6 million in the first quarter, compared to $106.5 million in the first quarter of 2025. The $37.9 million decrease in cash flow from operations was primarily related to a $62.4 million decrease in cash generated by changes in net operating working capital, due to a $73.5 million sequential increase in net operating working capital in the first quarter of 2026 compared to an $11.1 million sequential increase in the first quarter of 2025.

In the first quarter of 2026, cash returned to shareholders totaled $359.8 million, with $280.7 million in repurchases of common stock and $79.0 million in cash dividends.

Capital expenditures totaled $15.0 million in the quarter. Capital expenditures for 2026 are expected to be $75 million to $85 million.

About C.H. Robinson

C.H. Robinson is the global leader in Lean AI supply chains. For more than a century, companies everywhere have looked to us to reimagine how goods move. Now, as we redefine what’s next for the industry, that same drive fuels our commitment to Building Tomorrow’s Supply Chains, Today™. Trusted by 75,000 customers and 450,000 contract carriers, we manage 37 million shipments annually, representing $23 billion in freight. We deliver tailored solutions across the world via truckload, less-than-truckload, ocean, air, and more. With our unique combination of human insight and Lean AI working as one, supply chains move faster, smarter, and more sustainably. As a responsible global citizen, we proudly contribute millions to the causes that matter most to our employees. For more information, visit us at chrobinson.com (Nasdaq: CHRW).

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this release are forward-looking statements that represent our expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies concerning future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience or our present expectations, including, but not limited to, factors such as changes in economic conditions, including uncertain consumer demand; changes in market demand and pressures on the pricing for our services; fuel price increases or decreases, or fuel shortages; competition and growth rates within the global logistics industry that could adversely impact our profitability and achieving our long-term growth targets; freight levels and increasing costs and availability of truck capacity or alternative means of transporting freight; risks associated with seasonal changes or significant disruptions in the transportation industry; risks associated with identifying and completing suitable acquisitions; our dependence on and changes in relationships with existing contracted truck, rail, ocean, and air carriers; risks associated with the loss of significant customers; risks associated with reliance on technology to operate our business, including reliance on third-party platforms and cybersecurity related risks; our ability to staff and retain employees; risks associated with operations outside of the U.S.; our ability to successfully integrate the operations of acquired companies with our historic operations or efficiently managing divestitures; climate change related risks; risks associated with our indebtedness; risks associated with interest rates; risks associated with litigation, including contingent auto liability and insurance coverage; risks associated with the potential impact of changes in government regulations including environmental-related regulations; risks associated with the changes to income tax regulations; risks associated with the produce industry, including food safety and contamination issues; the impact of changes in political and governmental conditions; changes to our capital structure; changes due to catastrophic events; risks associated with the usage of artificial intelligence technologies; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in our Annual and Quarterly Reports.

Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and we undertake no obligation to update such statement to reflect events or circumstances arising after such date. All remarks made during our financial results conference call will be current at the time of the call, and we undertake no obligation to update the replay.

Conference Call Information:
C.H. Robinson Worldwide First Quarter 2026 Earnings Conference Call
Wednesday, April 29, 2026; 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Presentation slides and a simultaneous live audio webcast of the conference call may be accessed through C.H. Robinson's Investor Relations website at investor.chrobinson.com.
To participate in the conference call by telephone, please call ten minutes early by dialing: 877-269-7756

Adjusted Gross Profit by Service Line
(in thousands)

This table of summary results presents our service line adjusted gross profits on an enterprise basis. The service line adjusted gross profits in the table differ from the service line adjusted gross profits discussed within the segments as our segments may have revenues from multiple service lines.

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GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliation
(unaudited, in thousands)

Our adjusted gross profit is a non-GAAP financial measure. Adjusted gross profit is calculated as gross profit excluding amortization of internally developed software utilized to directly serve our customers and contracted carriers. We believe adjusted gross profit is a useful measure of our ability to source, add value, and sell services and products that are provided by third parties, and we consider adjusted gross profit to be a primary performance measurement. Accordingly, the discussion of our results of operations often focuses on the changes in our adjusted gross profit. The reconciliation of gross profit to adjusted gross profit is presented below (in thousands):

Our adjusted operating margin is a non-GAAP financial measure calculated as operating income divided by adjusted gross profit. Our adjusted operating margin - excluding restructuring, lease impairment charge and/or loss on divestiture is a similar non-GAAP financial measure as adjusted operating margin, but also excludes the impact of restructuring, lease impairment, and/or loss from divestiture. We believe adjusted operating margin and adjusted operating margin - excluding restructuring, lease impairment charge and/or loss on divestiture are useful measures of our profitability in comparison to our adjusted gross profit, which we consider a primary performance metric as discussed above. The comparisons of operating margin to adjusted operating margin and adjusted operating margin - excluding restructuring, lease impairment charge and/or loss on divestiture are presented below:

GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliation
(unaudited, in thousands)

Our adjusted income (loss) from operations, adjusted operating margin - excluding restructuring, lease impairment charge and/or loss on divestiture, adjusted net income and adjusted net income per share (diluted) are non-GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP measures are calculated excluding the impact of restructuring, lease impairment, and/or loss from divestiture. We believe that these measures provide useful information to investors and include them within our internal reporting to our chief operating decision maker. Accordingly, the discussion of our results of operations includes discussion on the changes in our adjusted income (loss) from operations, adjusted operating margin - excluding restructuring, lease impairment charge and/or loss on divestiture, adjusted net income and adjusted net income per share (diluted). The reconciliation of these non-GAAP measures are presented below (in thousands except per share data):

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Source: C.H. Robinson

CHRW-IR

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"Secular earnings growth has consistently been generated at the new C.H. Robinson regardless of market conditions."