ArcBest (ARCB) vs Heartland Express (HTLD)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
ArcBest (ARCB) has outperformed Heartland Express (HTLD) over the past year, gaining 70.9% versus a gain of 29.1%. Over five years, ARCB leads with a +52.1% price change compared with -31.5% for HTLD. ArcBest is the larger company by market cap ($2.90 billion vs $877.7 million), about 3.3 times the size.
On valuation, ArcBest trades at a lower forward P/E (13.6x vs 22.6x for Heartland Express). Heartland Express offers the higher dividend yield (0.70% vs 0.37%).
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | ARCB | HTLD |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $129.96 | $11.35 |
| Market cap | $2.90B | $877.73M |
| 1-day change | +2.44% | +0.62% |
| YTD return | +75.17% | +25.69% |
| 1-year return | +70.87% | +29.12% |
| 5-year return | +52.07% | -31.50% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 188.35 | — |
| Forward P/E | 13.58 | 22.61 |
| EPS (TTM) | $0.69 | $-0.29 |
| Dividend yield | 0.37% | 0.70% |
| Annual dividend | $0.48 | $0.08 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $4.01B | — |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -4.04% | — |
| Net income (latest FY) | $60.10M | — |
| Operating margin | 2.25% | — |
| Net margin | 1.50% | — |
| 52-week high | $176.69 | $16.64 |
| 52-week low | $59.43 | $7.00 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -26.45% | -31.79% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | hold |
| Avg. price target upside | +29.86% | +16.30% |
| Average volume | 294.35K | 728.65K |
| Shares outstanding | 22.35M | 77.33M |
| Employees | 14,000 | 3,630 |
| Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| Industry | Trucking Freight/Courier Services | Trucking |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- ArcBest is about 3.3 times larger than Heartland Express by market value ($2.90B vs $877.73M).
- ARCB has outperformed HTLD by 41.7 percentage points over the past year.
About ArcBest
ARCB stock →ArcBest Corporation, an integrated logistics company, provides ground, air, and ocean transportation solutions worldwide. It operates in two segments, Asset-Based and Asset-Light.
Industrials · Trucking Freight/Courier Services · 14,000 employees
About Heartland Express
HTLD stock →Heartland Express, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides short, medium, and long-haul truckload carrier and transportation services in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. It primarily provides nationwide asset-based dry van truckload services for shippers; cross-border freight and other transportation services; and temperature-controlled truckload services.
Industrials · Trucking · 3,630 employees
ARCB vs HTLD FAQ
Which is bigger, ArcBest or Heartland Express?
ArcBest (ARCB) is larger, with a market capitalization of $2.90B compared with $877.73M for Heartland Express (HTLD).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, ARCB or HTLD?
ARCB returned +70.87% over the past 12 months, compared with +29.12% for HTLD (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which pays a higher dividend, ArcBest or Heartland Express?
Heartland Express has the higher yield at 0.70%, compared with 0.37% for ArcBest.
Are ArcBest and Heartland Express in the same industry?
Both are in the Industrials sector, but in different industries: Trucking Freight/Courier Services for ArcBest and Trucking for Heartland Express.