XPO reports strong Q3 earnings as LTL margins reach a record

XPO reported third-quarter 2026 adjusted diluted EPS of $1.70, up 59% year over year, while revenue rose 12% to $2.37 billion. Its North American less-than-truckload unit posted record adjusted operating income of $293 million and an 80.1% adjusted operating ratio, an improvement of 260 basis points from a year earlier. Management forecast a fourth-quarter operating ratio below 82% and reiterated a long-term goal of reaching the low seventies or better.

The earnings print shows higher profitability despite a soft freight environment, while the lower operating ratio and record LTL income indicate stronger near-term operating performance. Management expects approximately $800 million of 2026 free cash flow, which it plans to use for share repurchases and debt reduction.

  • 1XPO's adjusted diluted EPS was $1.70, representing 59% year-over-year growth.
  • 2Revenue increased 12% to $2.37 billion in the third quarter of 2026.
  • 3The LTL segment recorded $293 million of adjusted operating income and an 80.1% adjusted operating ratio.
  • 4Management expects approximately $800 million of free cash flow for full-year 2026.
  • 5XPO projected a fourth-quarter operating ratio below 82%.
  • Material 3 alone reports a planned divestiture of XPO's European transportation segment; the other materials do not confirm this item.

Sources