Saia (SAIA) vs Werner Enterprises (WERN)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
Werner Enterprises (WERN) has outperformed Saia (SAIA) over the past year, gaining 16.5% versus a gain of 9.5%. Over five years, SAIA leads with a +28.0% price change compared with -26.7% for WERN. Saia is the larger company by market cap ($8.93 billion vs $1.96 billion), about 4.6 times the size.
On valuation, Werner Enterprises trades at a lower forward P/E (14.8x vs 23.6x for Saia). Werner Enterprises pays a dividend yielding 1.71%, while Saia does not currently pay one.
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 | SAIA | WERN |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $335.61 | $32.69 |
| Market cap | $8.93B | $1.96B |
| 1-day change | +0.27% | +1.08% |
| YTD return | +2.51% | +7.76% |
| 1-year return | +9.54% | +16.50% |
| 5-year return | +27.97% | -26.68% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 32.39 | — |
| Forward P/E | 23.56 | 14.82 |
| EPS (TTM) | $10.36 | $-0.77 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 1.71% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.56 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $3.23B | — |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +0.79% | — |
| Net income (latest FY) | $255.04M | — |
| Operating margin | 10.89% | — |
| Net margin | 7.89% | — |
| 52-week high | $494.71 | $47.49 |
| 52-week low | $249.32 | $23.06 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -32.16% | -31.16% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | hold |
| Avg. price target upside | +27.39% | +28.27% |
| Average volume | 426.50K | 1.03M |
| Shares outstanding | 26.61M | 59.98M |
| Employees | 13,734 | 14,500 |
| Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| Industry | Trucking Freight/Courier Services | Trucking Freight/Courier Services |
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
- Saia is about 4.6 times larger than Werner Enterprises by market value ($8.93B vs $1.96B).
- Werner Enterprises offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (1.71% vs 0.00%).
About Saia
SAIA stock →Saia, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a transportation company in North America. The company provides less-than-truckload services for shipments between 100 and 10,000 pounds.
Industrials · Trucking Freight/Courier Services · 13,734 employees
About Werner Enterprises
WERN stock →Werner Enterprises, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in transporting truckload shipments of general commodities in interstate and intrastate commerce in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and internationally. The company operates a fleet of medium-to-long-haul vans that transport various consumer nondurable products and other commodities in truckload quantities using dry van trailers; the expedited fleet, which provides time-sensitive truckload services using driver teams; a regional short-haul fleet for truckload van service; and temperature-controlled fleet, which offers truckload services for temperature-sensitive products using temperature-controlled trailers to retail distribution center or manufacturing facility, utilizing either dry van or specialized trailers.
Industrials · Trucking Freight/Courier Services · 14,500 employees
SAIA vs WERN FAQ
Which is bigger, Saia or Werner Enterprises?
Saia (SAIA) is larger, with a market capitalization of $8.93B compared with $1.96B for Werner Enterprises (WERN).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, SAIA or WERN?
WERN returned +16.50% over the past 12 months, compared with +9.54% for SAIA (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which pays a higher dividend, Saia or Werner Enterprises?
Werner Enterprises pays a dividend yielding 1.71%, while Saia does not currently pay a regular dividend.
Are Saia and Werner Enterprises in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Trucking Freight/Courier Services industry within the Industrials sector.