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Old Dominion Freight Line vs Saia: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Old Dominion Freight Line leads structurally, with profitability as the clearest single gap between the two profiles. Saia still has the edge on growth, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is mixed, without a decisive signal in either direction. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the Russell 1000 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-05-17

Profitability still does most of the heavy lifting in this comparison. Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. leads by 14 points on the overall comparison score.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Trucking

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. ODFL and SAIA share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Old Dominion Freight Line and Saia each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
ODFL
Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.
50
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000
vs
SAIA
Saia, Inc.
36
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The clearest separation appears in profitability.

Dimension spread: ODFL vs SAIA Profitability 89 37 Stability 34 33 Valuation 46 41 Growth 13 28 ODFL SAIA
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +52
#2 Growth +15
#3 Valuation +5
#4 Stability +1
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for ODFL and SAIA Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer ODFLSAIA Relative valuation Structural strength

Neither company combines the stronger profile with the cheaper valuation.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where ODFL and SAIA each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY ODFL Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 3 pct gap SAIA Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 90th 87th
ODFL (90th percentile) and SAIA (87th percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
On profitability, Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. ranks near the top of the group; Saia, Inc. sits in the weaker half.
Growth
Neither side looks especially strong on growth, though Saia, Inc. still ranks somewhat higher.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
ODFL
89
SAIA
37
Gap+52in favour of ODFL

The profitability lead is mainly driven by a 15.5-point operating margin advantage.

What else supports the lead

Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. also shows lower market-fundamental divergence, which makes the lead look less detached from the underlying business picture.

What this means for the comparison

Profitability settles the comparison, while pricing and growth keep the broader setup from looking fully aligned.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the ODFL vs SAIA comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar profitability-driven comparisons

Explore how ODFL and SAIA each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.