C.H. Robinson (CHRW) grows Q1 2026 earnings and boosts shareholder buybacks
Filing Impact
Filing Sentiment
Form Type
8-K
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
C.H. Robinson Worldwide reported mixed but stronger profitability for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. Total revenues edged down 0.8% to $4.0 billion, while gross profit slipped 1.6% to $646.6 million, reflecting softer ocean forwarding and lower volumes in some services.
Cost controls and its Lean AI strategy helped lift net income 8.8% to $147.2 million, with diluted EPS up 9.9% to $1.22 and adjusted diluted EPS up 15.4% to $1.35. Cash from operations declined to $68.6 million, but the company returned $359.8 million to shareholders through $280.7 million of buybacks and $79.0 million of dividends.
Positive
- Strong earnings growth: Net income rose 8.8% to $147.2M and adjusted diluted EPS increased 15.4% to $1.35, showing solid profit expansion despite roughly flat revenue.
- Resilient NAST performance: North American Surface Transportation grew adjusted gross profits 3.0% to $431.1M and held a 14.6% margin despite significantly higher truckload spot market costs.
- Large capital return: The company returned $359.8M to shareholders in Q1 2026, including $280.7M of share repurchases and $79.0M in dividends, signaling confidence in its intrinsic value.
Negative
- Global Forwarding weakness: Global Forwarding revenues declined 14.2% to $664.7M and income from operations fell 26.2% to $31.7M amid lower ocean rates and volumes.
- Softer cash generation: Cash from operations decreased from $106.5M to $68.6M, mainly due to a $73.5M sequential increase in net operating working capital.
- Ongoing restructuring costs: The quarter included $20.2M of restructuring and related pre-tax charges, largely tied to workforce reductions across segments.
Insights
Margins and EPS improved despite flat revenue and weaker cash generation.
C.H. Robinson delivered essentially flat top-line performance, with total revenues down 0.8% to $4.01B, but expanded profitability. Net income rose 8.8% to $147.2M, and adjusted diluted EPS increased 15.4% to $1.35, showing meaningful earnings leverage.
NAST led the way: segment revenues grew 2.8% and adjusted gross profits rose 3.0% to $431.1M, while maintaining a 14.6% margin despite higher truckload spot costs. Global Forwarding was a drag, with revenues down 14.2% and operating income down 26.2%, reflecting weaker ocean pricing and volumes.
Cash dynamics were less favorable. Operating cash flow fell from $106.5M to $68.6M on working-capital swings, yet the company still returned $359.8M via buybacks and dividends and modestly increased long-term debt. Future filings may clarify whether earnings growth remains strong if forwarding markets stay soft and working capital remains less supportive.
8-K Event Classification
2 items: 2.02, 9.01
2 items
Item 2.02
Results of Operations and Financial Condition
Financial
Disclosure of earnings results, typically an earnings press release or preliminary financials.
Item 9.01
Financial Statements and Exhibits
Exhibits
Financial statements, pro forma financial information, and exhibit attachments filed with this report.
Key Figures
Total revenue: $4.01B
Net income: $147.2M
Diluted EPS: $1.22
+5 more
8 metrics
Total revenue
$4.01B
Quarter ended March 31, 2026; down 0.8% year-over-year
Net income
$147.2M
Q1 2026; up 8.8% year-over-year
Diluted EPS
$1.22
Q1 2026; increased 9.9% versus Q1 2025
Adjusted diluted EPS
$1.35
Q1 2026; up 15.4% year-over-year
NAST adjusted gross profits
$431.1M
North American Surface Transportation, Q1 2026; up 3.0%
Global Forwarding revenue
$664.7M
Q1 2026; decreased 14.2% versus Q1 2025
Cash from operations
$68.6M
Q1 2026; down from $106.5M in Q1 2025
Cash returned to shareholders
$359.8M
Q1 2026; includes $280.7M buybacks and $79.0M dividends
Key Terms
adjusted gross profit, adjusted operating margin, Lean AI strategy, NAST, +2 more
6 terms
adjusted gross profit financial
"Adjusted gross profits decreased 1.9% to $660.5 million, primarily driven by lower adjusted gross profit per transaction"
Adjusted gross profit is a company’s revenue from selling goods or services minus the direct costs of producing them, with one-time or unusual items added back or removed to show the core margin. Investors use it like a cleaned-up snapshot of how much a business actually earns on its products, similar to measuring body weight after removing heavy clothes, because it helps compare performance across periods and companies without noise from rare events.
adjusted operating margin financial
"Adjusted operating margin of 26.6% increased 30 basis points."
Adjusted operating margin shows how much profit a company makes from its core business activities, after removing unusual or one-time costs and income. It helps investors see the company's true profitability by providing a clearer picture, similar to removing unexpected expenses to understand the regular performance. This metric is useful for comparing companies or tracking performance over time, as it highlights consistent earning power.
Lean AI strategy technical
"Lean AI is our unique, disciplined approach to AI innovation that is transforming supply chains."
NAST financial
"North American Surface Transportation ("NAST") total volume was flat year-over-year compared to a 6.2% decline"
basis points financial
"Adjusted operating margin - excluding restructuring, lease impairment charge, and/or loss on divestiture | 29.7 % | | 27.6 % | | 210 | bps"
Basis points are a way to measure small changes in interest rates or percentages, where one basis point equals 0.01%. For example, if a loan's interest rate increases by 50 basis points, it's gone up by 0.50%. They help people understand tiny differences in rates that can add up over time, making financial comparisons clearer.
effective tax rate financial
"The effective tax rate in the quarter was 11.7% compared to 13.7% in the first quarter of 2025."
The effective tax rate is the percentage of a company's profits that it pays in taxes. It shows how much of its earnings go to taxes after all deductions and credits are considered. For investors, it indicates how much of the company's income is taken by taxes, impacting overall profitability and financial health.
Earnings Snapshot
Total revenue: $4.01B · Guidance included
Q1 2026
Total revenue
$4.01B
-0.8% YoY
Net income
$147.2M
+8.8% YoY
Diluted EPS
$1.22
+9.9% YoY
Adjusted diluted EPS
$1.35
+15.4% YoY
NAST adjusted gross profits
$431.1M
+3.0% YoY
Global Forwarding revenue
$664.7M
-14.2% YoY
Guidance
For 2026, the company expects a full-year effective tax rate of 18% to 20% and capital expenditures between $75 million and $85 million.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report: April 29, 2026
(Date of earliest event reported)
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Commission File Number: 000-23189
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: 952 -937-8500
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter). Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition.
The following information is being "furnished" in accordance with the General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K and shall not be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed to be incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.
Furnished herewith as Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2, respectively, and incorporated by reference herein are the text of the Company's announcement regarding its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 and its earnings conference call slides.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
| Number | Description | ||||
| 99.1 | Press Release dated April 29, 2026 of C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. | ||||
| 99.2 | Earnings conference call slides dated April 29, 2026 | ||||
| 104 | The cover page from the Current Report on Form 8-K formatted in Inline XBRL | ||||
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| C.H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDE, INC. | ||||||||
| By: | /s/ Dorothy G. Capers | |||||||
| Dorothy G. Capers | ||||||||
Chief Legal Officer and Secretary | ||||||||
Date: April 29, 2026 | ||||||||
 | C.H. Robinson 14701 Charlson Rd. Eden Prairie, MN 55347 www.chrobinson.com | ||||
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | FOR INQUIRIES, CONTACT: Chuck Ives, Senior Director of Investor Relations Email: chuck.ives@chrobinson.com | ||||
C.H. Robinson Reports 2026 First Quarter Results
Eden Prairie, MN, April 29, 2026 - 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
(1) Adjusted gross profit margin, adjusted income from operations, and adjusted diluted EPS are non-GAAP financial measures. The same factors described in this release that impacted these non-GAAP measures also impacted the comparable GAAP measures. Refer to pages 10 through 12 for further discussion and GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliations.
"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."
1
"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.
2
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%.
(1) Adjusted gross profits, adjusted operating margin and adjusted diluted EPS are non-GAAP financial measures. The same factors described in this release that impacted these non-GAAP measures also impacted the comparable GAAP measures. Refer to pages 10 through 12 for further discussion and GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliations.
3
North American Surface Transportation (“NAST”) Results
Summarized financial results of our NAST segment are as follows (dollars in thousands):
| Three Months Ended March 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | % change | |||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 2,947,323 | $ | 2,868,420 | 2.8 | % | |||||||||||
Adjusted gross profits(1) | 431,077 | 418,324 | 3.0 | % | |||||||||||||
| Income from operations | 145,130 | 143,671 | 1.0 | % | |||||||||||||
____________________________________________
(1) Adjusted gross profits and adjusted operating margin - excluding restructuring are non-GAAP financial measures explained later in this release. The difference between adjusted gross profits and gross profits is not material.
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%.
4
Global Forwarding Results
Summarized financial results of our Global Forwarding segment are as follows (dollars in thousands):
| Three Months Ended March 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | % change | |||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 664,730 | $ | 774,888 | (14.2) | % | |||||||||||
Adjusted gross profits(1) | 162,291 | 184,628 | (12.1) | % | |||||||||||||
| Income from operations | 31,684 | 42,943 | (26.2) | % | |||||||||||||
____________________________________________
(1) Adjusted gross profits and adjusted operating margin - excluding restructuring are non-GAAP financial measures explained later in this release. The difference between adjusted gross profits and gross profits is not material.
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%.
5
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):
| Three Months Ended March 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | % change | |||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 400,881 | $ | 403,432 | (0.6) | % | |||||||||||
Adjusted gross profits(1): | |||||||||||||||||
| Robinson Fresh | $ | 37,517 | $ | 37,653 | (0.4) | % | |||||||||||
| Managed Solutions | 29,608 | 27,846 | 6.3 | % | |||||||||||||
Other Surface Transportation(2) | — | 4,637 | (100.0) | % | |||||||||||||
____________________________________________
(1) Adjusted gross profits is a non-GAAP financial measure explained later in this release. The difference between adjusted gross profits and gross profits is not material.
(2) Includes our Europe Surface Transportation business, which was divested as of February 1, 2025.
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.
6
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.
7
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
8
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.
| Three Months Ended March 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | % change | |||||||||||||||
Adjusted gross profits(1): | |||||||||||||||||
| Transportation | |||||||||||||||||
| Truckload | $ | 251,599 | $ | 262,288 | (4.1) | % | |||||||||||
| LTL | 163,448 | 148,411 | 10.1 | % | |||||||||||||
| Ocean | 89,919 | 115,335 | (22.0) | % | |||||||||||||
| Air | 32,724 | 32,810 | (0.3) | % | |||||||||||||
| Customs | 32,320 | 26,920 | 20.1 | % | |||||||||||||
| Other logistics services | 58,391 | 54,781 | 6.6 | % | |||||||||||||
| Total transportation | 628,401 | 640,545 | (1.9) | % | |||||||||||||
| Sourcing | 32,092 | 32,543 | (1.4) | % | |||||||||||||
| Total adjusted gross profits | $ | 660,493 | $ | 673,088 | (1.9) | % | |||||||||||
____________________________________________
(1) Adjusted gross profits is a non-GAAP financial measure explained later in this release. The difference between adjusted gross profits and gross profits is not material.
9
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):
| Three Months Ended March 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | % change | |||||||||||||||
| Revenues: | |||||||||||||||||
| Transportation | $ | 3,643,711 | $ | 3,721,915 | (2.1) | % | |||||||||||
| Sourcing | 369,223 | 324,825 | 13.7 | % | |||||||||||||
| Total revenues | 4,012,934 | 4,046,740 | (0.8) | % | |||||||||||||
| Costs and expenses: | |||||||||||||||||
| Purchased transportation and related services | 3,015,310 | 3,081,370 | (2.1) | % | |||||||||||||
| Purchased products sourced for resale | 337,131 | 292,282 | 15.3 | % | |||||||||||||
| Direct internally developed software amortization | 13,862 | 15,666 | (11.5) | % | |||||||||||||
| Total direct expenses | 3,366,303 | 3,389,318 | (0.7) | % | |||||||||||||
| Gross profit | $ | 646,631 | $ | 657,422 | (1.6) | % | |||||||||||
| Plus: Direct internally developed software amortization | 13,862 | 15,666 | (11.5) | % | |||||||||||||
| Adjusted gross profit | $ | 660,493 | $ | 673,088 | (1.9) | % | |||||||||||
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:
| Three Months Ended March 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | % change | |||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 4,012,934 | $ | 4,046,740 | (0.8) | % | |||||||||||
| Income from operations | 175,686 | 176,853 | (0.7) | % | |||||||||||||
| Operating margin | 4.4 | % | 4.4 | % | — bps | ||||||||||||
| Adjusted gross profit | $ | 660,493 | $ | 673,088 | (1.9) | % | |||||||||||
| Income from operations | 175,686 | 176,853 | (0.7) | % | |||||||||||||
| Adjusted operating margin | 26.6 | % | 26.3 | % | 30 | bps | |||||||||||
| Adjusted gross profit | $ | 660,493 | $ | 673,088 | (1.9) | % | |||||||||||
| Adjusted income from operations | 195,921 | 185,466 | 5.6 | % | |||||||||||||
Adjusted operating margin - excluding restructuring, lease impairment charge, and/or loss on divestiture | 29.7 | % | 27.6 | % | 210 | bps | |||||||||||
10
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):
| Non-GAAP Reconciliation: | NAST | Global Forwarding | All Other and Corporate | Consolidated | |||||||||||||||||||
| Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) from operations | $ | 145,130 | $ | 31,684 | $ | (1,128) | $ | 175,686 | |||||||||||||||
| Severance and other personnel expenses | 16,034 | 1,083 | 1,653 | 18,770 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other selling, general, and administrative expenses | 42 | 1,427 | (4) | 1,465 | |||||||||||||||||||
Total adjustments to income from operations(1) | 16,076 | 2,510 | 1,649 | 20,235 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted income from operations | $ | 161,206 | $ | 34,194 | $ | 521 | $ | 195,921 | |||||||||||||||
| Adjusted gross profit | $ | 431,077 | $ | 162,291 | $ | 67,125 | $ | 660,493 | |||||||||||||||
| Adjusted income from operations | 161,206 | 34,194 | 521 | 195,921 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted operating margin - excluding restructuring | 37.4 | % | 21.1 | % | 0.8 | % | 29.7 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 | |||||||||||
| $ in 000's | per share | ||||||||||
| Net income and per share (diluted) | $ | 147,233 | $ | 1.22 | |||||||
| Restructuring and related costs, pre-tax | 20,235 | 0.17 | |||||||||
| Tax effect of adjustments | (4,619) | (0.04) | |||||||||
| Adjusted net income and per share (diluted) | $ | 162,849 | $ | 1.35 | |||||||
____________________________________________
(1) The three months ended March 31, 2026 includes severance and other personnel expenses of $18.8 million related to workforce reductions and $1.5 million of other charges.
| Non-GAAP Reconciliation: | NAST | Global Forwarding | All Other and Corporate | Consolidated | |||||||||||||||||||
| Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) from operations | $ | 143,671 | $ | 42,943 | $ | (9,761) | $ | 176,853 | |||||||||||||||
| Severance and other personnel expenses | — | — | 1,187 | 1,187 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other selling, general, and administrative expenses | — | — | 7,426 | 7,426 | |||||||||||||||||||
Total adjustments to income from operations(1) | — | — | 8,613 | 8,613 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted income (loss) from operations | $ | 143,671 | $ | 42,943 | $ | (1,148) | $ | 185,466 | |||||||||||||||
| Adjusted gross profit | $ | 418,324 | $ | 184,628 | $ | 70,136 | $ | 673,088 | |||||||||||||||
| Adjusted income (loss) from operations | 143,671 | 42,943 | (1,148) | 185,466 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted operating margin - excluding lease impairment charge and loss on divestiture | 34.3 | % | 23.3 | % | N/M | 27.6 | % | ||||||||||||||||
11
| Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 | |||||||||||
| $ in 000's | per share | ||||||||||
| Net income and per share (diluted) | $ | 135,302 | $ | 1.11 | |||||||
| Lease impairment charge, pre-tax | 6,259 | 0.05 | |||||||||
| Loss on divestiture, pre-tax | 2,354 | 0.02 | |||||||||
| Tax effect of adjustments | (1,026) | (0.01) | |||||||||
| Adjusted net income and per share (diluted) | $ | 142,889 | $ | 1.17 | |||||||
____________________________________________
(1) The three months ended March 31, 2025 includes severance and other personnel expenses of $1.2 million related to the divestiture of our Europe Surface
Transportation business and $7.4 million of other charges, which includes a $6.3 million impairment charge on our Kansas City regional center lease resulting from the execution of a sublease agreement on a portion of the building.
12
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
(unaudited, in thousands, except per share data)
| Three Months Ended March 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | % change | |||||||||||||||
| Revenues: | |||||||||||||||||
| Transportation | $ | 3,643,711 | $ | 3,721,915 | (2.1) | % | |||||||||||
| Sourcing | 369,223 | 324,825 | 13.7 | % | |||||||||||||
| Total revenues | 4,012,934 | 4,046,740 | (0.8) | % | |||||||||||||
| Costs and expenses: | |||||||||||||||||
| Purchased transportation and related services | 3,015,310 | 3,081,370 | (2.1) | % | |||||||||||||
| Purchased products sourced for resale | 337,131 | 292,282 | 15.3 | % | |||||||||||||
| Personnel expenses | 352,723 | 348,553 | 1.2 | % | |||||||||||||
| Other selling, general, and administrative expenses | 132,084 | 147,682 | (10.6) | % | |||||||||||||
| Total costs and expenses | 3,837,248 | 3,869,887 | (0.8) | % | |||||||||||||
| Income from operations | 175,686 | 176,853 | (0.7) | % | |||||||||||||
| Interest and other income/expense, net | (9,013) | (20,051) | (55.0) | % | |||||||||||||
| Income before provision for income taxes | 166,673 | 156,802 | 6.3 | % | |||||||||||||
| Provision for income taxes | 19,440 | 21,500 | (9.6) | % | |||||||||||||
| Net income | $ | 147,233 | $ | 135,302 | 8.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Net income per share (basic) | $ | 1.23 | $ | 1.12 | 9.8 | % | |||||||||||
| Net income per share (diluted) | $ | 1.22 | $ | 1.11 | 9.9 | % | |||||||||||
| Weighted average shares outstanding (basic) | 119,803 | 120,969 | (1.0) | % | |||||||||||||
| Weighted average shares outstanding (diluted) | 121,010 | 121,932 | (0.8) | % | |||||||||||||
13
Business Segment Information
(unaudited, in thousands, except average employee headcount)
| NAST | Global Forwarding | All Other and Corporate | Consolidated | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 2,947,323 | $ | 664,730 | $ | 400,881 | $ | 4,012,934 | ||||||||||||||||||
Adjusted gross profits(1) | 431,077 | 162,291 | 67,125 | 660,493 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) from operations | 145,130 | 31,684 | (1,128) | 175,686 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 4,763 | 1,935 | 18,154 | 24,852 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Total assets(2) | 3,095,674 | 1,098,418 | 1,041,327 | 5,235,419 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Average employee headcount | 4,752 | 3,848 | 3,105 | 11,705 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| NAST | Global Forwarding | All Other and Corporate | Consolidated | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 2,868,420 | $ | 774,888 | $ | 403,432 | $ | 4,046,740 | ||||||||||||||||||
Adjusted gross profits(1) | 418,324 | 184,628 | 70,136 | 673,088 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) from operations | 143,671 | 42,943 | (9,761) | 176,853 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 4,809 | 2,139 | 18,694 | 25,642 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Total assets(2) | 2,989,401 | 1,292,915 | 943,798 | 5,226,114 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Average employee headcount | 5,280 | 4,514 | 3,553 | 13,347 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
_______________________________________
(1) Adjusted gross profits is a non-GAAP financial measure explained above. The difference between adjusted gross profits and gross profits is not material.
(2) All cash and cash equivalents are included in All Other and Corporate.
14
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(unaudited, in thousands)
| March 31, 2026 | December 31, 2025 | ||||||||||
| Assets | |||||||||||
| Current assets: | |||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 159,665 | $ | 160,871 | |||||||
| Receivables, net of allowance for credit loss | 2,542,172 | 2,360,829 | |||||||||
| Contract assets, net of allowance for credit loss | 181,862 | 156,441 | |||||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other | 123,718 | 120,402 | |||||||||
| Total current assets | 3,007,417 | 2,798,543 | |||||||||
| Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization | 111,105 | 116,362 | |||||||||
| Right-of-use lease assets | 274,782 | 278,323 | |||||||||
| Intangible and other assets, net of accumulated amortization | 1,842,115 | 1,865,153 | |||||||||
| Total assets | $ | 5,235,419 | $ | 5,058,381 | |||||||
| Liabilities and stockholders’ investment | |||||||||||
| Current liabilities: | |||||||||||
| Accounts payable and outstanding checks | $ | 1,366,305 | $ | 1,241,276 | |||||||
| Accrued expenses: | |||||||||||
| Compensation | 110,970 | 188,838 | |||||||||
| Transportation expense | 144,976 | 120,708 | |||||||||
| Income taxes | 26,917 | 33,745 | |||||||||
| Other accrued liabilities | 175,658 | 174,955 | |||||||||
| Current lease liabilities | 71,662 | 72,180 | |||||||||
| Total current liabilities | 1,896,488 | 1,831,702 | |||||||||
| Long-term debt | 1,342,727 | 1,089,438 | |||||||||
| Noncurrent lease liabilities | 230,097 | 233,768 | |||||||||
| Noncurrent income taxes payable | 38,048 | 34,875 | |||||||||
| Deferred tax liabilities | 22,018 | 21,526 | |||||||||
| Other long-term liabilities | 1,920 | 1,425 | |||||||||
| Total liabilities | 3,531,298 | 3,212,734 | |||||||||
| Total stockholders’ investment | 1,704,121 | 1,845,647 | |||||||||
| Total liabilities and stockholders’ investment | $ | 5,235,419 | $ | 5,058,381 | |||||||
15
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flow
(unaudited, in thousands, except employee count)
| Three Months Ended March 31, | |||||||||||
| Operating activities: | 2026 | 2025 | |||||||||
| Net income | $ | 147,233 | $ | 135,302 | |||||||
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used for) operating activities: | |||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 24,852 | 25,642 | |||||||||
| Provision for credit losses | 1,725 | 1,315 | |||||||||
| Stock-based compensation | 28,295 | 23,146 | |||||||||
| Deferred income taxes | 22,236 | 15,675 | |||||||||
| Excess tax benefit on stock-based compensation | (23,895) | (7,032) | |||||||||
| Change in loss on disposal group | — | (569) | |||||||||
| Other operating activities | 1,332 | 6,665 | |||||||||
| Changes in operating elements: | |||||||||||
| Receivables | (197,522) | (70,602) | |||||||||
| Contract assets | (25,628) | 2,898 | |||||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other | (3,363) | (10,994) | |||||||||
| Right of use asset | 1,696 | 19,315 | |||||||||
| Accounts payable and outstanding checks | 125,397 | 58,699 | |||||||||
| Accrued compensation | (77,992) | (71,579) | |||||||||
| Accrued transportation expenses | 24,268 | (2,071) | |||||||||
| Accrued income taxes | 20,057 | 19,445 | |||||||||
| Other accrued liabilities | 4,567 | (12,535) | |||||||||
| Lease liability | (3,228) | (26,615) | |||||||||
| Other assets and liabilities | (1,431) | 426 | |||||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | 68,599 | 106,531 | |||||||||
| Investing activities: | |||||||||||
| Purchases of property and equipment | (2,635) | (3,348) | |||||||||
| Purchases and development of software | (12,381) | (12,734) | |||||||||
| Cash used for acquisitions | (150) | — | |||||||||
| Proceeds from divestiture | 11,828 | 27,737 | |||||||||
| Net cash (used for) provided by investing activities | (3,338) | 11,655 | |||||||||
| Financing activities: | |||||||||||
| Proceeds from stock issued for employee benefit plans | 40,362 | 16,808 | |||||||||
| Stock tendered for payment of withholding taxes | (68,080) | (49,829) | |||||||||
| Repurchase of common stock | (212,659) | (47,700) | |||||||||
| Cash dividends | (79,030) | (77,490) | |||||||||
| Proceeds from long-term borrowings | 678,000 | — | |||||||||
| Payments on long-term borrowings | (425,000) | — | |||||||||
| Proceeds from short-term borrowings | — | 682,000 | |||||||||
| Payments on short-term borrowings | — | (670,000) | |||||||||
| Net cash used for financing activities | (66,407) | (146,211) | |||||||||
| Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents | (60) | 1,429 | |||||||||
| Net change in cash and cash equivalents, including cash and cash equivalents classified within assets held for sale | (1,206) | (26,596) | |||||||||
| Plus: net decrease in cash and cash equivalents within assets held for sale | — | 10,776 | |||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period | 160,871 | 145,762 | |||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents, end of period | $ | 159,665 | $ | 129,942 | |||||||
| Employees as of March 31 | 11,554 | 12,912 | |||||||||
Source: C.H. Robinson
CHRW-IR
16
2024 INVESTOR DAY April 29, 2026 Q1 2026 Earnings Presentation
Safe Harbor Statement 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. 2©2026 C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Thoughts from President & CEO, Dave Bozeman 3 ■ Secular earnings growth has consistently been generated by the new C.H. Robinson regardless of market conditions. ■ Q1 2026 was another example of this, with our adjusted earnings per share(1) increasing 15% year-over-year despite a significant increase in truckload spot market costs. ■ We optimized 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. ■ Our ability to consistently outperform over the last 2+ years is a result of focusing on controlling what we can control and the strength of our Lean AI strategy. ■ 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. 1. Adjusted gross profits, adjusted income from operations, adjusted operating margin - excluding restructuring and adjusted net income per share are non-GAAP financial measures. Refer to pages 24 through 27 for further discussion and a GAAP to Non-GAAP reconciliation.
Q1 Highlights 4 ■ North American Surface Transportation (NAST) gained market share in truckload and LTL. Through revenue management discipline and a cost of hire advantage, NAST gross margins flat Y/Y despite a significant increase in truckload spot market costs ■ Global Forwarding (GF) improved its portfolio yield and expanded gross margins through disciplined pricing and revenue management practices ■ Productivity continued to improve Y/Y and drove adjusted operating margin - excluding restructuring(1) to 37.4% in NAST and 29.7% for the enterprise ■ Focused on providing best-in-class service to our customers and carriers, gaining profitable share in targeted market segments, streamlining our processes, applying Lean principles and leveraging custom-built AI technology to drive out waste and optimize our costs, with a disciplined operating model that arms our people with innovative tools, decouples headcount growth from volume growth and drives operating leverage $4.0B Total Revenues -0.8% Y/Y $660M Adj. Gross Profits(1) -1.9% Y/Y $176M Income from Operations -0.7% Y/Y $1.22 Net Income/Share +9.9% Y/Y Q1 2026 1. Adjusted gross profits, adjusted income from operations, adjusted operating margin - excluding restructuring and adjusted net income per share are non-GAAP financial measures. Refer to pages 24 through 27 for further discussion and a GAAP to Non-GAAP reconciliation. $196M of Adj. Income from Operations(1) +5.6% Y/Y $1.35 of Adj. Net Income per Share(1) +15.4% Y/Y
All Other & Corporate ■ Robinson Fresh AGP relatively flat Y/Y ■ Managed Solutions Q1 AGP up 6.3% Y/Y ■ Other Surface Transportation AGP declined to zero due to divestiture of Europe Surface Transportation business in February 2025 Global Forwarding (GF) ■ Soft demand and increasing vessel capacity caused ocean rates to decline further ■ Ocean volume declined 10.5% Y/Y & air tonnage declined 15.0% Y/Y ■ Continuing to diversify our trade lane and industry vertical exposure ■ Customs AGP up 20.0% Y/Y North American Surface Transportation (NAST) ■ NAST volume performance outpaced the market indices for the 12th consecutive quarter ■ Significant opportunities for profitable growth remain in targeted segments ■ Focused on initiatives that improve the customer and carrier experience and lower our cost to serve ■ AGP margin was flat Y/Y despite tighter carrier capacity and a significant increase in truckload spot market costs ■ Productivity improvements are being driven by removing waste and increasing automation through custom-built AI agents Complementary Global Suite of Services 5 Q1 2026 Adjusted Gross Profits(2) +3.0% Y/Y -4.3% Y/Y -12.1% Y/Y 1. Measured over trailing twelve months. 2. Adjusted gross profits is a non-GAAP financial measure explained later in this presentation. The difference between adjusted gross profits and gross profits is not material. Over half of total revenues are garnered from customers to whom we provide both surface transportation and global forwarding services, and this percentage has grown year-over-year due to our One Robinson go-to-market approach.(1)
NAST Q1’26 Results by Service 6 ■ Total NAST truckload and LTL volume was flat Y/Y, reflecting the 12th consecutive quarter of market share growth compared to a 6.2% decline in the Cass Freight Shipment Index ■ Truckload volume decreased 3.5% Y/Y and AGP per shipment increased 1.5%(2) ■ LTL AGP per order increased 8.5% Y/Y and volume increased 2.0% Y/Y(2) ■ NAST AGP margin was flat Y/Y, despite tighter carrier capacity and a significant increase in truckload spot market costs, due to disciplined pricing and procurement efforts, continued advancement of our dynamic pricing and costing capabilities and a widening of our cost-of-hire advantage 1Q26 1Q25 %▲ Truckload (“TL”) $247.3 $252.0 (1.9)% Less than Truckload (“LTL”) $161.7 $146.4 10.5% Other $22.1 $20.0 10.7% Total Adjusted Gross Profits $431.1 $418.3 3.0% Adjusted Gross Profit Margin % 14.6% 14.6% — bps Adjusted Gross Profits(1) ($ in millions) 1. Adjusted gross profits and adjusted gross profit margin % are non-GAAP financial measures explained later in this presentation. The difference between adjusted gross profits and gross profits is not material. 2. Growth rates are rounded to the nearest 0.5 percent. First Quarter Highlights
Truckload Price and Cost Change (1)(2)(3) 7 Truckload Q1 Volume(2)(4) -3.5 % Price/Mile(1)(2)(3) +11.0 % Cost/Mile(1)(2)(3) +13.0 % Adjusted Gross Profit(4) -1.9 % 1. Price and cost change represents YoY change for North America truckload shipments across all segments. 2. Growth rates are rounded to the nearest 0.5 percent. 3. Pricing and cost measures exclude fuel surcharges and costs. 4. Truckload volume and adjusted gross profit growth represents YoY change for NAST truckload. ■ 70% / 30% truckload contractual / transactional volume mix in Q1 vs 65% / 35% in Q1 last year ■ Average routing guide depth of 1.5 in Managed Solutions business vs. 1.3 in Q1 last year, reflecting a tightening capacity environment Yo Y % C ha ng e in P ric e an d C os t p er M ile YoY Price Change YoY Cost Change 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 -30% -20% -10% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Truckload AGP $ per Shipment Trend 8 ■ Disciplined pricing and capacity procurement efforts and continued advancement of our dynamic pricing and costing capabilities resulted in improved optimization of volume and AGP(1) ■ AGP $ per mile increased 1.0% year-over-year and AGP $ per shipment increased 1.5% year-over-year N AS T Ad ju st ed G ro ss P ro fit $ p er T ru ck lo ad Sh ip m en t N AST Adjusted G ross Profit M argin % NAST Adjusted Gross Profit $ per Truckload Shipment (left axis) NAST Adjusted Gross Profit Margin % (right axis) Average NAST AGP $ per Truckload Shipment (left axis) 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 11% 12% 13% 14% 15% 16% 17% 18% 19% 20% 1. Adjusted gross profits is a non-GAAP financial measure explained later in this presentation. The difference between adjusted gross profits and gross profits is not material.
Global Forwarding Q1’26 Results by Service 9 1Q26 1Q25 %▲ Ocean $89.8 $115.3 (22.1)% Air $32.1 $32.3 (0.5)% Customs $32.3 $26.9 20.0% Other $8.1 $10.1 (19.8)% Total Adjusted Gross Profits $162.3 $184.6 (12.1)% Adjusted Gross Profit Margin % 24.4% 23.8% 60 bps Adjusted Gross Profits (1) ($ in millions) ■ Soft demand and increasing vessel capacity caused ocean rates to decline significantly Y/Y ■ Ocean AGP decreased due to a 12.5% decrease in AGP per shipment and a 10.5% decline in shipments(2) ■ Air AGP decreased due to a 15.0% decline in metric tons shipped, partially offset by a 16.5% increase in AGP per metric ton shipped(2) ■ Customs AGP increased due to a 22.0% increase in adjusted gross profit per transaction, partially offset by a 2.0% reduction in volume(2) 1. Adjusted gross profits and adjusted gross profit margin % are non-GAAP financial measures explained later in this presentation. The difference between adjusted gross profits and gross profits is not material. 2. Growth rates are rounded to the nearest 0.5 percent. First Quarter Highlights
All Other & Corporate Q1’26 Results 10 Robinson Fresh ■ Decline in AGP driven by margin compression primarily in retail customers Managed Solutions ■ Total freight under management of $1.9B in Q1 Other Surface Transportation ■ Decline in AGP driven by the divestiture of our Europe Surface Transportation business on February 1, 2025 1Q26 1Q25 %▲ Robinson Fresh $37.5 $37.7 (0.4)% Managed Solutions $29.6 $27.8 6.3% Other Surface Transportation $— $4.6 (100.0)% Total $67.1 $70.1 (4.3)% Adjusted Gross Profits (1) ($ in millions) 1. Adjusted gross profits is a non-GAAP financial measure explained later in this presentation. The difference between adjusted gross profits and gross profits is not material. First Quarter Highlights
IMPROVEPLAN ACTIVATE • Enterprise Strategy Map • Policy Deployment Matrix • Policy Deployment Initiatives • Binary view of success (green) or opportunity (red) • Regular operating review cadence (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly) • Divisional Strategy Maps • Shared Services Strategy Maps • Accountable action plans on all scorecards with red • Embrace and attack the red! • e.g., Gemba walks ("go to the desk") Scorecard: Measurable & Actionable Inputs Defined & Cascaded Strategy Maps Clear Long-Term Strategy & Targets Continuous, Rigorous Measurement & Action Plans Continuously Improving. Never Stops. 1 2 3 4 5 Robinson Operating Model 11
Streamlining & Automating Processes to Drive Profitable Growth 12 12
What: Large language models (ChatGPT) How: Understanding of written language and generating content CHR Examples: Email classification, email quoting, email order entry, appointments *Works well with Traditional AI What: Machine learning, predictive analytics, optimization How: Advanced math and statistics CHR Examples: Costing, pricing, transportation optimization From machine learning to multi-agent models with advanced reasoning What: Large language models plus planning, tool use, memory, natural interaction, and optimization How: Advanced reasoning adds the ability to act autonomously to perform complex tasks without explicit instructions CHR Examples: NMFC Agent, Ocean Quoting *Works well with GenAI and Traditional AI The Multifaceted World of AI 13
I provide customers with transactional quotes, fast. Quote Agents I build and update orders on-system in seconds. Order Agents I contact carriers for timely tracking updates. Tracking Agents I book and reschedule optimal appointments. Appointment Agents I post available truckload capacity on-system early. Truck Post Agents I proactively recommend loads to best-fit carriers. Load Booking Agents I acquire necessary documents from carriers. Documents Agents I ensure carriers are paid on time. Carrier Payment Agents Meet the Fleet of C.H. Robinson AI Agents 14 Just a sample of the agents performing tasks that defied automation for decades
Capital Allocation Priorities: Balanced and Opportunistic 15 Cash Flow from Operations & Capital Distribution ($M) ■ $360 million of cash returned to shareholders in Q1 2026 ■ Q1 2026 capital distribution increased 106% Y/Y ■ 1.62 million shares repurchased at an average price of $173.23 ■ More than 25 years of annually increasing dividends, on a per share basis ■ The Y/Y decrease in cash from operations was driven primarily by an unfavorable sequential change in net operating working capital in Q1 2026. ■ Strong conviction in the company's intrinsic value led to increased share repurchases in Q1 2026.
30% GF Operating Margin Mid-30s Enterprise Operating Margin 40% NAST Operating Margin ~$400M - $500M $350M-$450M Incremental Adjusted Operating Income vs. 2023 Mid-Cycle Key Assumptions • Outsized volume growth in NAST and GF • Ongoing gross margin expansion driven by technology enhancements and disciplined revenue management • Consistent focus on driving evergreen productivity improvement and operating leverage • 40% and 30% remain our targets for quality of earnings; beyond those, we retain the optionality to deliver demonstrable outgrowth to deliver higher earnings for our investors Our Updated 2026 Financial Target1 161. Updated on October 29, 2025
1. Excluding restructuring and other charges 2. Assumes ~120M diluted weight average shares outstanding; no significant change in non-operating metrics Market Assumptions • Market volume growth of flat to up 5% in 2026 • Market normalization • NAST AGP/shipment flat to up 2% • GF AGP/shipment reset to 2H 2023 (down 10%) Key Drivers • Outperform the market • Optimize AGP yields • Organizational transformation • Evergreen productivity gains ~$6.00 Adjusted EPS1,2 ($964M of adjusted operating income) with 0% market growth in 2026 2026 Operating Income Bridge1 17
© C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. All rights reserved. Our Customer Promise 18
2024 INVESTOR DAY Appendix
Q1 2026 Transportation Results(1) 20 Three Months Ended March 31 $ in thousands 2026 2025 % Change Total Revenues $ 3,643,711 $ 3,721,915 (2.1) % Total Adjusted Gross Profits(2) $ 628,401 $ 640,545 (1.9) % Adjusted Gross Profit Margin % 17.2% 17.2% — bps Transportation Adjusted Gross Profit Margin % 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Q1 17.3% 16.4% 18.6% 15.3% 14.9% 13.5% 15.2% 15.4% 17.2% 17.2% Q2 16.2% 16.2% 18.3% 17.5% 13.8% 15.4% 15.5% 15.8% 17.5% Q3 16.4% 16.6% 16.9% 14.4% 13.7% 15.1% 15.1% 16.4% 17.7% Q4 16.6% 17.7% 15.6% 14.3% 13.3% 15.5% 15.0% 16.9% 17.4% Total 16.6% 16.7% 17.3% 15.3% 13.8% 14.8% 15.2% 16.1% 17.5% 1. Includes results across all segments. 2. Adjusted gross profits and adjusted gross profit margin % are non-GAAP financial measures explained later in this presentation. The difference between adjusted gross profits and gross profits is not material.
Q1 2026 NAST Results 21 1. Adjusted gross profits and adjusted gross profit margin % are non-GAAP financial measures explained later in this presentation. The difference between adjusted gross profits and gross profits is not material. 2. Includes $16.1 million of restructuring charges in the Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 mainly related to workforce reductions. Three Months Ended March 31 $ in thousands 2026 2025 % Change Total Revenues $ 2,947,323 $ 2,868,420 2.8 % Total Adjusted Gross Profits(1) $ 431,077 $ 418,324 3.0 % Adjusted Gross Profit Margin % 14.6% 14.6% — bps Income from Operations(2) $ 145,130 $ 143,671 1.0 % Adjusted Operating Margin % 33.7% 34.3% (60 bps) Depreciation and Amortization $ 4,763 $ 4,809 (1.0) % Total Assets $ 3,095,674 $ 2,989,401 3.6 % Average Headcount 4,752 5,280 (10.0) %
Q1 2026 Global Forwarding Results 22 1. Adjusted gross profits and adjusted gross profit margin % are non-GAAP financial measures explained later in this presentation. The difference between adjusted gross profits and gross profits is not material. 2. Includes $2.5 million of restructuring charges in the Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 mainly related to workforce reductions and other charges. Three Months Ended March 31 $ in thousands 2026 2025 % Change Total Revenues $ 664,730 $ 774,888 (14.2) % Total Adjusted Gross Profits(1) $ 162,291 $ 184,628 (12.1) % Adjusted Gross Profit Margin % 24.4% 23.8% 60 bps Income from Operations(2) $ 31,684 $ 42,943 (26.2) % Adjusted Operating Margin % 19.5% 23.3% (380 bps) Depreciation and Amortization $ 1,935 $ 2,139 (9.5) % Total Assets $ 1,098,418 $ 1,292,915 (15.0) % Average Headcount 3,848 4,514 (14.8) %
Q1 2026 All Other and Corporate Results 23 1. Adjusted gross profits is a non-GAAP financial measure explained later in this presentation. The difference between adjusted gross profits and gross profits is not material. 2. Includes $1.6 million of restructuring charges in the Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 primarily related to workforce reductions. Includes $8.6 million of charges in the Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 primarily related to a $6.3 million impairment charge on our Kansas City regional center lease resulting from the execution of a sublease agreement on a portion of the building. Three Months Ended March 31 $ in thousands 2026 2025 % Change Total Revenues $ 400,881 $ 403,432 (0.6%) Total Adjusted Gross Profits(1) $ 67,125 $ 70,136 (4.3%) Income (loss) from Operations(2) $ (1,128) $ (9,761) N/M Depreciation and Amortization $ 18,154 $ 18,694 (2.9%) Total Assets $ 1,041,327 $ 943,798 10.3% Average Headcount 3,105 3,553 (12.6%)
24 Our adjusted gross profit and adjusted gross profit margin are non-GAAP financial measures. Adjusted gross profit is calculated as gross profit excluding amortization of internally developed software utilized to directly serve our customers and contracted carriers. Adjusted gross profit margin is calculated as adjusted gross profit divided by total revenues. We believe adjusted gross profit and adjusted gross profit margin are useful measures 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. The reconciliation of gross profit to adjusted gross profit and gross profit margin to adjusted gross profit margin are presented below: Three Months Ended March 31 $ in thousands 2026 2025 Revenues: Transportation $ 3,643,711 $ 3,721,915 Sourcing 369,223 324,825 Total Revenues $ 4,012,934 $ 4,046,740 Costs and expenses: Purchased transportation and related services 3,015,310 3,081,370 Purchased produced sourced for resale 337,131 292,282 Direct internally developed software amortization 13,862 15,666 Total direct costs $ 3,366,303 $ 3,389,318 Gross profit & Gross profit margin $ 646,631 16.1% $ 657,422 16.2% Plus: Direct internally developed software amortization 13,862 15,666 Adjusted gross profit/Adjusted gross profit margin $ 660,493 16.5% $ 673,088 16.6% Non-GAAP Reconciliations
Non-GAAP Reconciliations 25 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 to 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: Three Months Ended March 31 $ in thousands 2026 2025 Total Revenues $ 4,012,934 $ 4,046,740 Income from operations 175,686 176,853 Operating margin 4.4% 4.4% Adjusted gross profit $ 660,493 $ 673,088 Income from operations 175,686 176,853 Adjusted operating margin 26.6% 26.3% Adjusted gross profit $ 660,493 $ 673,088 Adjusted income from operations(1) 195,921 185,466 Adjusted operating margin - excluding restructuring, lease impairment charge, and/or loss on divestiture 29.7% 27.6% 1. In the Three Months Ended March 31, 2026, we incurred restructuring expenses of $18.8 million primarily related to workforce reductions and $1.5 million of other charges. In the Three Months Ended March 31, 2025, we incurred $1.2 million of severance and other personnel expenses related to the divestiture of our Europe Surface Transportation business and a $7.4 million of other charges, which includes a $6.3 million impairment charge on our Kansas City regional center lease resulting from the execution of a sublease agreement on a portion of the building.
Non-GAAP Reconciliations 26 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): Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Consolidated Income (loss) from operations $ 145,130 $ 31,684 $ (1,128) $ 175,686 Severance and other personnel expenses 16,034 1,083 1,653 18,770 Other selling, general, and administrative expenses 42 1,427 (4) 1,465 Total adjustments to income from operations(1) 16,076 2,510 1,649 20,235 Adjusted income from operations $ 161,206 $ 34,194 $ 521 $ 195,921 Adjusted gross profit $ 431,077 $ 162,291 $ 67,125 $ 660,493 Adjusted income from operations 161,206 34,194 521 195,921 Adjusted operating margin - excluding restructuring 37.4% 21.1% 0.8% 29.7% $ in 000's per share Net income and per share (diluted) $ 147,233 $ 1.22 Restructuring and related costs, pre-tax 20,235 0.17 Tax effect of adjustments (4,619) (0.04) Adjusted net income and per share (diluted) $ 162,849 $ 1.35 1. The Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 includes severance and other personnel expenses of $18.8 million related to workforce reductions and $1.5 million of other charges.
Non-GAAP Reconciliations 27 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): Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Consolidated Income (loss) from operations $ 143,671 $ 42,943 $ (9,761) $ 176,853 Severance and other personnel expenses — — 1,187 1,187 Other selling, general, and administrative expenses — — 7,426 7,426 Total adjustments to income from operations(1) — — 8,613 8,613 Adjusted income (loss) from operations $ 143,671 $ 42,943 $ (1,148) $ 185,466 Adjusted gross profit $ 418,324 $ 184,628 $ 70,136 $ 673,088 Adjusted income (loss) from operations 143,671 42,943 (1,148) 185,466 Adjusted operating margin - excluding lease impairment charge and loss on divestiture 34.3% 23.3% N/M 27.6% $ in 000's per share Net income and per share (diluted) $ 135,302 $ 1.11 Lease impairment charge, pre-tax 6,259 0.05 Loss on divestiture, pre-tax 2,354 0.02 Tax effect of adjustments (1,026) (0.01) Adjusted net income and per share (diluted) $ 142,889 $ 1.17 1. The Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 includes severance and other personnel expenses of $1.2 million related to the divestiture of our Europe Surface Transportation business and a $7.4 million of other charges, which includes a $6.3 million impairment charge on our Kansas City regional center lease resulting from the execution of a sublease agreement on a portion of the building.
2024 INVESTOR DAY Thank you INVESTOR RELATIONS: Chuck Ives 952-683-2508 chuck.ives@chrobinson.com
FAQ
How did C.H. Robinson (CHRW) perform financially in Q1 2026?
C.H. Robinson delivered lower revenue but higher profits in Q1 2026. Total revenue slipped 0.8% to $4.0 billion, while net income rose 8.8% to $147.2 million and diluted EPS increased 9.9% to $1.22, supported by cost discipline and mix improvements.
How did the NAST segment of C.H. Robinson perform in Q1 2026?
North American Surface Transportation (NAST) posted revenue of $2.95 billion, up 2.8% year-over-year. Adjusted gross profits rose 3.0% to $431.1 million, with a 14.6% margin, as disciplined pricing and a cost-of-hire advantage offset significantly higher truckload spot market costs.
Why did C.H. Robinson’s Global Forwarding results decline in Q1 2026?
Global Forwarding revenue fell 14.2% to $664.7 million and adjusted gross profits declined 12.1% to $162.3 million. Softer demand, increased vessel capacity, lower ocean rates, and reduced ocean and air volumes weighed on the segment’s operating income, which dropped 26.2%.
What was C.H. Robinson’s cash flow from operations and capital return in Q1 2026?
Operating cash flow was $68.6 million in Q1 2026, down from $106.5 million a year earlier due to working-capital changes. Despite this, the company returned $359.8 million to shareholders, including $280.7 million in share repurchases and $79.0 million in dividends.
How is C.H. Robinson using Lean AI in its business strategy?
C.H. Robinson highlights a Lean AI strategy that combines Lean operating principles with custom-built AI. It deploys AI agents across quoting, order entry, tracking, and payments to reduce waste, automate tasks, lower cost to serve, and support evergreen productivity and margin expansion.
What guidance did C.H. Robinson provide on its 2026 tax rate and capital spending?
For full-year 2026, C.H. Robinson expects an effective tax rate of 18% to 20%. Planned capital expenditures for 2026 are projected between $75 million and $85 million, compared with $15.0 million of capital spending in the first quarter.