Is Saia a Better Buy Than JB Hunt Transport Services?
JB Hunt Transport Services surged 22% during the past Month. You may be tempted to buy more, or may want to reduce your exposure. But there is an entirely different perspective you might be missing. Is there a better alternative? Turns out, its peer Saia gives you more. Saia (SAIA) stock offers superior revenue growth across key periods, better profitability, and relatively lower valuation vs JB Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) stock, suggesting you may be better off investing in SAIA
- SAIA’s quarterly revenue growth was -0.3%, vs. JBHT’s -0.5%.
- In addition, its Last 12 Months revenue growth came in at 2.0%, ahead of JBHT’s -1.6%.
- SAIA leads on profitability over both periods – LTM margin of 12.1% and 3-year average of 14.5%.
These differences become even clearer when you look at the financials side by side. The data highlights how JBHT’s fundamentals stack up against those of SAIA on growth, margins, momentum, and valuation multiples.
Valuation & Performance Overview
| JBHT | SAIA | Preferred | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valuation | |||
| P/EBIT Ratio | 19.7 | 19.6 | SAIA |
| Revenue Growth | |||
| Last Quarter | -0.5% | -0.3% | SAIA |
| Last 12 Months | -1.6% | 2.0% | SAIA |
| Last 3 Year Average | -6.3% | 5.7% | SAIA |
| Operating Margins | |||
| Last 12 Months | 6.9% | 12.1% | SAIA |
| Last 3 Year Average | 7.2% | 14.5% | SAIA |
| Momentum | |||
| Last 3 Year Return | -5.9% | 15.2% | SAIA |
Note: For “Last 3 Year Return” metric, preferred stock is one with higher returns unless the returns are too high (>300%) which creates risk of sell off.
See more revenue details: JBHT Revenue Comparison | SAIA Revenue Comparison
See more margin details: JBHT Operating Income Comparison | SAIA Operating Income Comparison
You can see detailed fundamentals on Buy or Sell SAIA Stock and Buy or Sell JBHT Stock and assess yourself which stock looks better. Nevertheless, ask yourself – Is holding JBHT stock risky? Of course it is. High Quality Portfolio mitigates that risk.
Getting back to comparison, let’s check out how these two stocks have performed for investors in the last few years.
Historical Market Performance
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Total [1] | Avg | Best | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Returns | |||||||||
| JBHT Return | 18% | 51% | -14% | 16% | -14% | 0% | 53% | ||
| SAIA Return | 94% | 86% | -38% | 109% | 4% | -38% | 202% | <=== | |
| S&P 500 Return | 16% | 27% | -19% | 24% | 23% | 16% | 112% | ||
| Monthly Win Rates [3] | |||||||||
| JBHT Win Rate | 58% | 67% | 42% | 50% | 50% | 60% | 54% | ||
| SAIA Win Rate | 75% | 67% | 33% | 67% | 67% | 50% | 60% | ||
| S&P 500 Win Rate | 58% | 75% | 42% | 67% | 75% | 70% | 64% | <=== | |
| Max Drawdowns [4] | |||||||||
| JBHT Max Drawdown | -35% | -1% | -24% | -5% | -22% | -27% | -19% | ||
| SAIA Max Drawdown | -31% | -4% | -49% | -1% | -16% | -48% | -25% | ||
| S&P 500 Max Drawdown | -31% | -1% | -25% | -1% | -2% | -15% | -12% | <=== | |
[1] Cumulative total returns since the beginning of 2020
[2] 2025 data is for the year up to 11/12/2025 (YTD)
[3] Win Rate = % of calendar months in which monthly returns were positive
[4] Max drawdown represents maximum peak-to-trough decline within a year
No matter how good the numbers, stock investment is never a smooth ride. There is a risk you must factor in. Read SAIA Dip Buyer Analyses to see how the stock has fallen and recovered in the past.
Whatever your view on either of these stocks, investing in one or two stocks remains a risky proposition. Instead, the Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio, with a collection of 30 stocks, has a track record of comfortably outperforming its benchmark that includes all 3 — the S&P 500, S&P mid-cap, and Russell 2000 indices. Why is that? As a group, HQ Portfolio stocks provided better returns with less risk versus the benchmark index; less of a roller-coaster ride, as evident in HQ Portfolio performance metrics.