Wall Street Loves AI, and C.H. Robinson Is Cashing In
Logistics Giant Rockets to Record High After Strong Earnings and AI Buzz
Key Takeaways:
- C.H. Robinson shares surged more than 20% on Oct. 30 to a record high after third-quarter earnings beat forecasts and the company raised its 2026 income outlook.
- Analysts credited the logistics firm’s use of AI automation for improving productivity and profitability, fueling optimism in an otherwise weak transport sector.
- Executives said the company plans to continue expanding its AI-driven efficiency initiatives as it seeks to sustain market-share gains and outperform peers.
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The nonstop enthusiasm for artificial intelligence is spilling into the transportation business, as shares of C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. are on a tear after analysts praised its use of automation to boost profits.
The logistics company’s stock is up more than 20% at mid-session Oct. 30, its biggest intraday gain since 2007, and leading the S&P 500 Index, putting it on track to close at its highest level ever. The move comes after C.H. Robinson reported that beat consensus estimates and raised its outlook for 2026 operating income, pointing to improved productivity through the use of AI agents to such as processing orders and offering price quotes.
“Referencing AI always helps,” said Mark Hacket, chief market strategist at Nationwide Fund Advisors, which owns C.H. Robinson shares. “This is mostly an execution story rather than an encouraging macro picture, though they did reference market-share gains.”
The Oct. 30 price action is the latest rally sparked by C.H. Robinson’s use of technology. The stock leaped 18% on July 31 after the firm posted better-than-expected second-quarter profits and lower operating expenses, which were attributed to its tech initiatives.
“The company continues an impressive demonstration of actually leveraging AI to drive meaningful efficiency and earnings gains,” Barclays analyst Brandon Oglenski wrote in a note to clients Thursday. The boosted profit guidance, he added, gives the shares a relatively good outlook “in an otherwise lackluster transport sector.”
C.H. Robinson is the second-best performer in the S&P 500 Transportation Index this year with a more than 50% gain, far outpacing the gauge’s 8.5% rise. The Russell 3000 trucking group is down 9.5% in 2025, as many of its companies have been unable to charge the prices they need for their services.
“We are not immune to the market,” CEO Dave Bozeman said in a news release. “But this is a new C.H. Robinson, and we don’t use the macro environment as an excuse.”
C.H. Robinson ranks No. 2 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest logistics companies in North America and No. 20 on the TT Top 50 list of the largest global freight companies.
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