The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) and the rest of the transportation and logistics stocks fared in Q4.

The growth of e-commerce and global trade continues to drive demand for shipping services, presenting opportunities for transportation and logistics companies. The industry continues to invest in advanced technologies such as automated sorting systems and real-time tracking solutions to enhance operational efficiency. Companies that win in this space boast speed, reach, reliability, and last-mile efficiency while those who do not see their market shares diminish. Like other industrials companies, transportation and logistics companies are at the whim of economic cycles. Consumer spending, for example, can greatly impact the demand for these companies’ offerings while fuel costs influence profit margins.

The 28 transportation and logistics stocks we track reported a slower Q4. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 7% since the latest earnings results.

Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC)

Starting with a single route from Virginia to North Carolina, Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) is a freight transportation company operating a major railroad network across the eastern United States.

Norfolk Southern reported revenues of $2.97 billion, down 1.7% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 1.1%, but it was still a strong quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 2.2% since reporting and currently trades at $290.80.

Is now the time to buy Norfolk Southern? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q4: XPO (NYSE: XPO)

Owning a mobile game simulating freight operations for the Tour de France, XPO (NYSE: XPO) is a transportation company specializing in expedited shipping services.

XPO reported revenues of $2.01 billion, up 4.7% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.9%. The business had an exceptional quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The market seems content with the results as the stock is up 3.1% since reporting. It currently trades at $185.14.

Is now the time to buy XPO? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: Avis Budget Group (NASDAQ: CAR)

The parent company of brands such as Zipcar and Budget Truck Rental, Avis (NASDAQ: CAR) is a provider of car rental and mobility solutions.

Avis Budget Group reported revenues of $2.66 billion, down 1.7% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 2.9%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 20.5% since the results and currently trades at $98.01.

Read our full analysis of Avis Budget Group’s results here.

Kirby (NYSE: KEX)

Transporting goods along all U.S. coasts, Kirby (NYSE: KEX) provides inland and coastal marine transportation services.

Kirby reported revenues of $851.8 million, up 6.2% year on year. This number came in 1.4% below analysts' expectations. Aside from that, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also logged an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The stock is down 3% since reporting and currently trades at $124.33.

Read our full, actionable report on Kirby here, it’s free.

Genco (NYSE: GNK)

Headquartered in NYC, Genco (NYSE: GNK) is a shipping company that transports dry bulk cargo along worldwide maritime routes.

Genco reported revenues of $78.29 million, up 16% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 1.4%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also recorded an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and a narrow beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The stock is down 5.8% since reporting and currently trades at $21.23.

Read our full, actionable report on Genco here, it’s free.

Market Update

Thanks to the Fed’s series of rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has cooled significantly from its post-pandemic highs, drawing closer to the 2% goal. This disinflation has occurred without severely impacting economic growth, suggesting the success of a soft landing. The stock market thrived in 2024, spurred by recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November), and a notable surge followed Donald Trump’s presidential election win in November, propelling indices to historic highs. Nonetheless, the outlook for 2025 remains clouded by potential trade policy changes and corporate tax discussions, which could impact business confidence and growth. The path forward holds both optimism and caution as new policies take shape.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 6 Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.