Forward Air Corporation
Forward Air Corporation Fundamental Analysis
Forward Air Corporation (FWRD) shows moderate financial fundamentals with a PE ratio of -4.65, profit margin of -4.32%, and ROE of -77.06%. The company generates $2.5B in annual revenue with strong year-over-year growth of 80.51%.
Key Strengths
Areas of Concern
The stock receives a Fundamental Health Score of -53.5/100 based on profitability, valuation, growth, and balance sheet metrics. The F grade reflects weak fundamentals and significant financial concerns.
Fundamental Health Score
We analyze FWRD's fundamental strength across five key dimensions:
Efficiency Score
WeakFWRD struggles to generate sufficient returns from assets.
Valuation Score
ExcellentFWRD trades at attractive valuation levels.
Growth Score
ModerateFWRD shows steady but slowing expansion.
Financial Health Score
ModerateFWRD shows balanced financial health with some risks.
Profitability Score
WeakFWRD struggles to sustain strong margins.
Key Financial Metrics
Is FWRD Expensive or Cheap?
P/E Ratio
FWRD trades at -4.65 times earnings. This suggests potential undervaluation.
PEG Ratio
When adjusting for growth, FWRD's PEG of -0.54 indicates potential undervaluation.
Price to Book
The market values Forward Air Corporation at 4.42 times its book value. This suggests the stock is fully valued or overvalued on an asset basis.
EV/EBITDA
Enterprise value stands at -10.07 times EBITDA. This is generally considered low.
How Well Does FWRD Make Money?
Net Profit Margin
For every $100 in sales, Forward Air Corporation keeps $-4.32 as profit after all expenses.
Operating Margin
Core operations generate 1.46 in profit for every $100 in revenue, before interest and taxes.
ROE
Management delivers $-77.06 in profit for every $100 of shareholder equity.
ROA
Forward Air Corporation generates $-3.93 in profit for every $100 in assets, demonstrating efficient asset deployment.
Following the Money - Real Cash Generation
Operating Cash Flow
Forward Air Corporation generates limited operating cash flow of $44.78M, signaling weaker underlying cash strength.
Free Cash Flow
Forward Air Corporation generates weak or negative free cash flow of $15.40M, restricting financial flexibility.
FCF Per Share
Each share generates $0.49 in free cash annually.
FCF Yield
FWRD converts 3.05% of its market value into free cash.
Financial Ratios Analysis
Valuation Ratios
P/E Ratio
Price to earnings ratio
-4.65
vs 25 benchmark
PEG Ratio
Price/earnings to growth ratio
-0.54
vs 25 benchmark
P/B Ratio
Price to book value ratio
4.42
vs 25 benchmark
P/S Ratio
Price to sales ratio
0.20
vs 25 benchmark
Financial Health
Debt/Equity
Total debt to shareholders' equity
21.94
vs 25 benchmark
Current Ratio
Current assets to current liabilities
1.22
vs 25 benchmark
Efficiency Ratios
ROE
Return on equity percentage
-0.77
vs 25 benchmark
ROA
Return on assets percentage
-0.04
vs 25 benchmark
ROCE
Return on capital employed
0.02
vs 25 benchmark
How FWRD Stacks Against Its Sector Peers
| Metric | FWRD Value | Sector Average | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio | -4.65 | 25.83 | Better (Cheaper) |
| ROE | -77.06% | 1291.00% | Weak |
| Net Margin | -4.32% | -43845.00% (disorted) | Weak |
| Debt/Equity | 21.94 | 0.80 | Weak (High Leverage) |
| Current Ratio | 1.22 | 10.66 | Neutral |
| ROA | -3.93% | -1540652.00% (disorted) | Weak |
FWRD outperforms its industry in 1 out of 6 key metrics, but lagging in ROE.
Historical Growth Performance
5-Year Growth Trajectory
This section reviews Forward Air Corporation's 5-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) and compares its performance against the typical investment style of its industry.
Revenue CAGR
79.60%
Industry Style: Cyclical, Value, Infrastructure
High GrowthEPS CAGR
-1060.29%
Industry Style: Cyclical, Value, Infrastructure
DecliningFCF CAGR
-147.81%
Industry Style: Cyclical, Value, Infrastructure
Declining