We recently published a list of 12 Best Freight Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Forward Air Corporation (NASDAQ:FWRD) stands against other best freight stocks to buy according to hedge funds.

Freight stocks are often perceived as boring if compared to the flashy technology and AI stocks, but they are actually the blood of the global economy – the freight sector is the backbone of trade and the gross domestic product of every country. In essence, any good produced and sold was almost certain to have been involved in transportation, often several times at different stages of the supply chain. This means that freight companies are able to capture a small share of the giant gross domestic product, which makes the overall sector a huge size.

The key growth drivers of freight activity are trade volumes, fuel prices (cheap fuel is a huge profitability boost), public spending on large projects like infrastructure, and the level of manufacturing activity. Consequently, freight stocks thrive during periods of strong economic growth, supported by affordable energy prices and low interest rates, as well as a calm geopolitical landscape that ensures the free flow of goods. Conversely, the whole transportation sector tends to underperform during sluggish economic conditions, featuring mediocre construction and manufacturing activities, slowdowns in both public and private spending, and other macro headwinds like high interest rates and inflation, which pressure consumption on a large scale.

READ ALSO: 10 Best Transportation Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds

The year 2024 was not the best for freight activity in the US, as almost 2 years of high interest rates and past inflation finally took a toll on consumption, industrial activity, and construction. Last year, while strong from a valuation standpoint and stock market returns, it actually brought a significant slowdown in consumer spending, residential construction, automotive volumes, and industrial production. There were pockets of strength in data center construction, public construction (as fueled by the Infrastructure Act), and some industrial niches, but that was not enough to fuel growth for freight stocks. As a result, the whole sector underperformed the broad market and reached a new 5-year low (relative to the broad market) by year-end. Furthermore, the new US administration brought even more challenges into 2025 – the cut in public spending is likely to eliminate some of the pockets of strength mentioned above, while the tariff threats are a huge headwind for commerce and the flow of goods.

The Atlanta Fed and other reputable research boutiques have drastically cut their estimates of GDP growth for 2025, which puts transportation stocks out of favor again. However, according to the principles of value investing, the trough of the business cycle, when stocks are trading at or near their lows, is the best time to acquire good companies at exceptional prices. As legendary investors like Warren Buffet and Peter Lynch have taught us, valuations certainly do matter for long-term stock returns, meaning that periods of underperformance are opportunities to acquire stocks at bargain prices.

We also believe that the long-term picture remains favorable, and there are reasons to expect a reacceleration in GDP growth and freight volumes at some point in 2H 2025 or 2026, once the current challenges are navigated. The main reason for long-term optimism is that the outlook on the construction sector is favorable due to a chronically undersupplied residential housing market and the aging of infrastructure in the US. Second, industrial activity will also have to rebound at some point, and we believe that lower interest rates over time will unmute the “Roaring 2020s” tailwinds in such areas as electric vehicle production, energy grid, and automation – all of these will bring higher volumes for the freight sector. The key takeaway for readers is that we may be at an opportune time to acquire freight stocks at bargain prices ahead of a broad economic recovery over the next 1-2 years.

Our Methodology

We used a stock screener and thematic ETFs to shortlist 40-50 companies operating in the freight space, which includes the “Integrated Freight & Logistics” and “Trucking” industries. Then we compared the list with our proprietary database of hedge funds’ ownership and included in the article the top 12 stocks with the largest number of hedge funds owning the stock as of Q4 2024. All stocks are ranked in ascending order.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).

Forward Air Corporation (NASDAQ:FWRD)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 37

​​Forward Air Corporation (NASDAQ:FWRD) is a global leader in asset-light transportation services, operating across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The company provides LTL, truckload, freight brokerage, and supply chain services to a diverse range of customers in high growth end markets. FWRD also offers premium services that require precise execution and tight deadlines – special handling, expedited transit, and rapid deliveries of strategic loads. The asset-light strategy is aimed at minimizing investments in equipment and facilities, thus reducing CapEx requirements and making the company more efficient.

Forward Air Corporation (NASDAQ:FWRD) reported a consolidated EBITDA of $308 million for 2024, reaching the upper end of their guidance range, which was facilitated by the successful execution of more than $100 million in annualized savings from synergies and cost-out actions while maintaining high customer satisfaction levels. The Q4 2024 performance was driven by consistent results in the Intermodal segment and strong performance from the Omni Logistics segment, which achieved its best quarterly reported EBITDA since the transaction. However, the Expedited Freight segment faced challenges due to decreased volumes and a pricing strategy that prioritized growth over profitability.

Looking ahead, Forward Air Corporation (NASDAQ:FWRD) is transitioning from integration to transformation, focusing on IT systems rationalization, data quality improvement, and establishing a global shared services organization. The transformation efforts, which will continue into 2026, include consolidating multiple ERP systems into a unified IT network to reduce redundancies and enhance efficiencies. Management believes the company is in a good place with legacy customers and continues to service them extremely well. With 37 hedge funds owning the stock, FWRD ranks 7^th on our list of best freight stocks.

Overall, FWRD ranks 7th on our list of best best freight stocks to buy according to hedge funds. While we acknowledge the potential of FWRD, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than FWRD but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.