Forward Air Corporation (FWRD) Next Earnings Date & Expected ±10.5% Move

$17.62 -1.40% NASDAQ • Live Quote vs Prior Daily Close (Synced Snapshot) EXT / AFTER-HRS: $17.54

Forward Air Corporation (FWRD) carries a Roarable Rating of E (Strong Sell) with 25/100 RQD Confidence due to weak cash-flow efficiency and sensitivity to current interest rates. Wait for business cash flow and institutional buying to improve before committing fresh capital.

ROARABLE E • RED ALERT Cap $595.2M
📤 Share Live RQD Speedometer Card: 𝕏 Post Reddit StockTwits ⬇ Live SVG Card
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🤖 Mara Quenwick • AI Quant Lead (Click for Instant Brief) Is FWRD stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?
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As of 2026-11-03, Forward Air Corporation (NASDAQ: FWRD) is rated E (Strong Sell / SELL) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 25/100 at a spot price of $17.62 (-1.40% 1D, market cap $595.2M). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 6/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 11/20, Executive Insider Alignment 3/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 4/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 3/20. Across 485 tracked Industrials issuers, FWRD ranks #445 in composite RQD confidence.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief
🤖 Ellis Vennor • AI Peer & Flow Quant (Click for Instant Brief) How does FWRD compare to RLGT and HUBG in the Industrials sector?
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Within the Industrials sector (Integrated Freight & Logistics), FWRD carries a Roarable E (25/100 RQD), trailing P/E of N/A, gross margin of —, and ROIC of 1.7%. By comparison, RLGT (Radiant Logistics Inc.) holds a D+ grade (55/100 RQD, P/E 24.7x, ROIC 8.4%, cap $426.6M) and HUBG (Hub Group Inc. (Class A)) posts a D- grade (42/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC —, cap $1.63B). Among the 5-stock peer group, BCO leads on earnings multiple (21.1x) while BCO leads on capital efficiency (19.6% ROIC).

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief
🤖 Gideon Ashmere • AI SEC 10-K Forensics (Click for Instant Brief) What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for FWRD?
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Per FWRD's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31, CIK 0000912728), Forward Air Corporation generated $2.50B in revenue (+0.8% YoY), -$104.0M in net income, and $0 in free cash flow against $2.72B in total assets and $1.69B in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Established market leader in Industrials with deep daily trading liquidity.. Primary risk factors monitored: Company executives have done more routine share selling than personal cash buying lately.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief
🤖 AI Quant Disclosure: Roarable Analysts are proprietary AI Quant Specialists — not human financial advisors. Pre-computed one-to-many briefings above are free; interactive 1-on-1 Q&A, custom AI sifting/indicator alerts, and personal ChatGPT/Claude MCP connections require a $9.95/mo Pro account (currently waitlist-only).
INTERACTIVE SCENARIO DECK:
🛡️ Portfolio Crash X-Ray
EXT / AFTER-HRS: $17.54 (-0.44%)🧬 Dilution Drag (+1.28% YoY Shares)⚙️ Cash Engine: 6/20 (E) • 0.7% FCF Margin
Verify 90D Bucket Audit →
📊 Historical Track Record Warning: Scores below 50 (25/100 · E) historically underperformed SPY in 71% of rolling 90-day windows (-10.7% avg 90D alpha vs SPY • 29.0% hit rate).
Audit Bucket Track Record →
RQD QUANT TACHOMETERRED ALERT • E
025507510025
3-of-3 JEV AI Jury Bearish Warning
Cash
SEC
Whale

Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer

5-PILLAR SNOWFLAKE RADARRw E · Rk E
Cash (6)Whales (11)SEC (3)Macro (4)CEO (3)
Each axis scored 0–20
12M PRICE TARGET CONE-14.9% Base Target
$33 Bull$15 Base$12 Bear
📬 FREE FWRD RATING-CHANGE & BRIEFING ALERTSManage / Unsubscribe
WHALE OPTIONS SNAPSHOT: — (No Active Options Snapshot on file for FWRD)Realized 20D OHLCV Swing Band: ±10.5%
Deterministic 5-Pillar Attribution (25/100 Composite)
🔍 WHY FWRD SCORES 25/100 (E) — TOP 3 DRIVERS2 Bullish Pillars + #1 Risk Drag
▲ #1 Bullish Driver: Whale & Options Positioning+11/20 pts (44% of score)

20D Institutional Volume Accumulation (±10.5% realized swing band)

▲ #2 Bullish Driver: Cash Engine Quality+6/20 pts (24% of score)

SEC XBRL FY 2025 (10-K): 0.7% FCF Margin ($16.7M FCF) & 52% Gross Margin

▼ #1 Drag / Risk Factor: Insider Conviction & Share Dilution4/20 pts (-16 pt drag)

Dilution Drag (+1.28% YoY Shares) & executive Form 4 sales trim 16 pts from alignment

📈 PAST 4 QUARTERS RQD vs SUBSEQUENT RETURNQ1 → Q2 → Q3 → Current
Q1 (-3Q)
17
Grade E$15.58-1.7% Next Q
Q2 (-2Q)
20
Grade E$15.31-1.1% Next Q
Q3 (-1Q)
22
Grade E$15.14+16.4% Next Q
Current
25
Grade E$17.62-10.7% Hist 90D α
Trajectory: E (17) → E (25)Full Audit →
⚔️ ADVERSARIAL OPPOSING CASE & FORENSIC KILL-SWITCH (WHY THE BULL/BEAR THESIS COULD FAIL)CONTRARIAN TURNAROUND & SHORT-SQUEEZE DOSSIER

⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: What Could Spark a FWRD Turnaround Squeeze

Gideon Ashmere Forensic Desk →

While FWRD currently carries a cautious 25/100 (E) rating due to Insider Conviction & Share Dilution (4/20), shorts face asymmetric squeeze risk if free cash flow inflects or management executes accretive buybacks.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #1

Established market leader in Industrials with deep daily trading liquidity.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #2

Options & Short-Covering Gamma: Reclaiming the 50-day SMA ($16.03) and Max Pain ($18.50) forces dealer call-delta covering toward $32.74.

🚀 Contrarian Squeeze Trigger #3

Forensic Repair Trigger: Halting share dilution (Dilution Drag (+1.28% YoY Shares)) or retiring high-cost debt immediately upgrades the SEC 10-K Forensic pillar.

🎲 LIVE PREDICTION MARKET ODDS TIED TO $FWRD• $2.4M Crowd Pool • Kalshi / Polymarket Composite
Contract: “FWRD Beats Next Quarter EPS Consensus (Dec 30, 2026) & Holds Above 200D SMA”
NEXT EST. WINDOW: Dec 30, 2026 (~57 DAYS)

Historical OHLCV Volatility ±10.5% Swing Band

±$1.85 Expected Swing
$15.77 (-10.5%)Spot $17.62$19.47 (+10.5%)
MODEL EARNINGS SETUP GAUGE

FWRD Quantitative Pre-Earnings Setup: 25/100

Trailing EPS: $4.25 • YoY Revenue Growth: 0.8%

Model Bullish Setup (25/100)Model Risk Weight (75/100)
Derived deterministically from RQD cash-flow quality, SEC accrual safety, and institutional flow (not a community poll).
LOG YOUR PERSONAL PRE-EARNINGS STANCE (SAVED LOCALLY IN BROWSER):

Recent SEC Reported Revenue, Net Profit & Diluted EPS Cadence

PeriodFiledRevenueNet ProfitFree Cash FlowGross Margin
FY 20252025-12-31$2.50B-$104.0M-$93.6M52%
FY 20242024-12-31$2.47B-$820.0M-$738.0M52%
FY 20232023-12-31$1.37B$167.0M$150.3M52%
ON-DEMAND RQD QUANT WORKSHOP • SPONSORED / PARTNER SPOTLIGHTHosted by Perry Belcher & Roarable Forensic Quant Desk

Red-Light Warning Desk: Spotting SEC Cash-Flow & Dilution Risks Before Downgrades (Featuring FWRD)

  • ✓Walkthrough of FWRD's RQD Radar, SEC cash-conversion gap & downside invalidation levels
  • ✓3 asymmetric Bear/Hedge frameworks when 10-year Treasury yields stay elevated
  • ✓Includes nightly RQD rating-change & forensic signal email alerts on your tracked stocks
RQD INSIDER CLUB WAITLIST$49/YR PLANNED
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FWRD // CANDLESTICK & AUTO-TRENDLINE WORKSTATION6M: +8.63%⚡ TESTING RESISTANCE
2026-11-03O $17.87H $17.87L $17.62C $17.62VOL 441.8K
RES: $18.46SUP: $15.32SMA50: $16.03SMA200: $17.54
$25.71$20.87$16.03$11.20$6.36RES $18.46SUP $15.32$17.622026-05-042026-06-172026-08-042026-09-182026-11-03
PRIMARY-SOURCE FORENSICS, SECOND-ORDER LINKS & AI ANALYST DESK

FWRD Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure

Share Count & Dilution Monitor (#25)

Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).

Reverse-DCF Expectations Hurdle (#30)
33.3%/yr Implied 5Y Growth

vs. +0.8% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).

Ellis Vennor Setup Ledger (#33)

No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on FWRD today. View full Setup Ledger →

🦋 Documented & Second-Order Butterfly Connections Open Graph →

No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for FWRD. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.

AI Analyst Theses, Washington Policy & Company Video
🎬 No recent verified company-specific video clip queued for FWRD today (we never pad ticker pages with unrelated generic clips). Browse Macro Video Desk →
DETERMINISTIC MULTI-FACTOR EQUITY AUDIT • SEC EDGAR XBRL × RQD PEER BENCHMARK

📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (FWRD)

Industrials Rank #445 of 485 ⚔️ RLGT vs FWRD Full Matrix →

1. Head-to-Head Industrials Peer Comparison (FWRD vs. RLGT, HUBG, BCO, PSIG)

Industry: Integrated Freight & Logistics (16 Tracked Issuers)

Across 485 tracked Industrials securities in the Roarable RQD universe, Forward Air Corporation (FWRD) ranks #445 by composite RQD confidence (25/100, grade E) and #286 by equity capitalization ($595.2M). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, BCO leads on earnings valuation at 21.1x trailing P/E, while BCO leads on capital efficiency and profitability with 19.6% ROIC and 25.8% gross margin. RLGT currently holds the highest overall quantitative score in the immediate peer group at 55/100 (D+) compared with FWRD at 25/100 (E).

Ticker / Company Roarable Grade RQD Score Trailing P/E Gross Margin ROIC 1D Change Market Cap Head-to-Head
FWRD ACTIVE
Forward Air Corporation
E 25/100 — — 1.7% -1.40% $595.2M Benchmark Subject
RLGT
Radiant Logistics Inc.
D+ 55/100 24.7x — 8.4% 0.00% $426.6M /rlgt-vs-fwrd →
HUBG
Hub Group Inc. (Class A)
D- 42/100 — — — +0.11% $1.63B /hubg-vs-fwrd →
BCO
Brinks Company
D 46/100 21.1x 25.8% 19.6% +0.51% $4.23B /bco-vs-fwrd →
PSIG
PS International Group Ltd.
E 25/100 — 1.9% -32.0% 0.00% $75.5M /psig-vs-fwrd →

2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)

SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2025-12-31 • CIK 0000912728

In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31), Forward Air Corporation (FWRD) reported GAAP revenue of $2.50B (+0.8% vs. FY2024 revenue of $2.47B , and +82.0% cumulative change since FY2023) , GAAP net income of -$104.0M, operating cash flow of $0, and free cash flow of $0 . On the balance sheet, FWRD closed FY2025 with $2.72B in total assets against $1.69B in total debt (Altman Z-Score: 0.91, Piotroski F-Score: 2/9).

Fiscal Period Filing Date Revenue Net Income Operating Cash Flow Free Cash Flow Total Assets Total Debt
FY2025 (FY) 2025-12-31 $2.50B -$104.0M — — $2.72B $1.69B
FY2024 (FY) 2024-12-31 $2.47B -$820.0M — — $2.80B $1.68B
FY2023 (FY) 2023-12-31 $1.37B $167.0M — — — —

3. FWRD Data-Verified Investor FAQ (RQD Rating, Sector Peers, SEC Forensics & Technicals)

✓ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLED

Is FWRD stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

As of 2026-11-03, Forward Air Corporation (NASDAQ: FWRD) is rated E (Strong Sell / SELL) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 25/100 at a spot price of $17.62 (-1.40% 1D, market cap $595.2M). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 6/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 11/20, Executive Insider Alignment 3/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 4/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 3/20. Across 485 tracked Industrials issuers, FWRD ranks #445 in composite RQD confidence.

How does FWRD compare to RLGT and HUBG in the Industrials sector?

Within the Industrials sector (Integrated Freight & Logistics), FWRD carries a Roarable E (25/100 RQD), trailing P/E of N/A, gross margin of —, and ROIC of 1.7%. By comparison, RLGT (Radiant Logistics Inc.) holds a D+ grade (55/100 RQD, P/E 24.7x, ROIC 8.4%, cap $426.6M) and HUBG (Hub Group Inc. (Class A)) posts a D- grade (42/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC —, cap $1.63B). Among the 5-stock peer group, BCO leads on earnings multiple (21.1x) while BCO leads on capital efficiency (19.6% ROIC).

What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for FWRD?

Per FWRD's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31, CIK 0000912728), Forward Air Corporation generated $2.50B in revenue (+0.8% YoY), -$104.0M in net income, and $0 in free cash flow against $2.72B in total assets and $1.69B in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Established market leader in Industrials with deep daily trading liquidity.. Primary risk factors monitored: Company executives have done more routine share selling than personal cash buying lately.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.

Where is FWRD trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?

FWRD last traded at $17.62 (-1.40% on volume of 441,765 shares), positioning the stock +9.92% above its 50-day simple moving average ($16.03) and +0.46% above its 200-day simple moving average ($17.54). Across its 52-week range of $7.86 to $31.18, FWRD sits at the 41.9% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 62.9 (BULLISH MOMENTUM) and an implied next-earnings move of ±10.5% ($15.77 to $19.47).

FWRD Investor FAQ & Complete 8-Part Research Index

100% OPEN ACCESS • SEC EDGAR × CBOE × FRED

When is FWRD's next earnings date?

Based on SEC filing cadence, Forward Air Corporation (FWRD)'s next quarterly reporting window is estimated around Dec 30, 2026.

How much is FWRD stock expected to move on earnings?

Volatility modeling currently projects a ±10.5% event move for FWRD, spanning a range between $15.77 and $19.47.

ROARABLE RATING BRIEF • RQD 25/100 (E) ✓ STAGE-C NUMBER FIREWALL VERIFIED

FWRD — Forward Air Corporation: What the Facts Mean to a Prospective Investor

Engine: anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5
As of: 2026-11-02T15:34:38Z

Roarable Rating Brief: What This Means to a Prospective Investor

Per the Roarable RQD rating, FWRD scores 25 out of 100 with a letter grade of E, labeled "Roarable Strong Sell — Forensic Risk / Avoid." The five pillars are: Fundamental Cash Engine at 6 / 20 (ROIC 1.7%; FCF yield 0%); Whale 13F Flow at 11 / 20 (institutional accumulation and options positioning); Insider Conviction at 3 / 20 (SEC Form 4 and Congressional PTR cluster flow); Macro Regime Fit at 4 / 20 (Beta 1.0; sector sensitivity); and Forensic Balance Sheet at 1 / 20 (Altman Z 0.91; Piotroski F 2/9; Debt/Equity 8.5).

For a prospective investor, the weakest pillars are the forensic balance sheet and insider conviction, which point to elevated financial-distress risk and limited insider signaling. The institutional flow pillar is the strongest relative score, suggesting some ownership interest, but it does not offset the cash-generation and balance-sheet weaknesses. Upside drivers would need to come from a sustained improvement in ROIC and free cash flow, which the source data does not show as currently positive. The valuation picture is also demanding relative to these fundamentals: EV/EBITDA of 35.7 is shown alongside a 1.5% operating margin and -4.2% net margin. Second-order risk runs through the leverage profile, since debt of $1687.2M against cash of $106.0M leaves limited room for operating shortfalls.

Financial Trend

PeriodRevenueOperating IncomeNet IncomeEPSFCFCashDebt
FY 2025$2495.1M$36.4M$-104.0MN/AN/A$106.0M$1687.2M
FY 2024$2474.3M$-1062.9M$-820.0MN/AN/A$104.9M$1675.9M
FY 2023$1370.7M$88.2M$167.0MN/AN/AN/AN/A

Per the SEC financials, FY 2025 shows an operating income of $36.4M but a net loss of $-104.0M, with a reported operating margin of 1.5% and net margin of -4.2% per the market data. Reported ROIC is 1.7%. The Altman Z-Score is 0.91 and the Piotroski F-Score is 2/9, per the Roarable RQD rating's forensic pillar, with Debt/Equity at 8.5. Balance sheet posture reflects debt substantially exceeding reported cash in FY 2025.

Recent Catalysts & News Wire Analysis

Per the recent news section, the wire items include a Yahoo! Finance Canada market report (yellow signal), a Yahoo Finance item tagged as a catalyst (green signal) headlined as a fair-value move following analyst growth-assumption cuts, a TradingView estimates page (yellow), a Stock Titan report on a major customer signing a two-year deal with some services expected to shift (yellow), a Yahoo Finance notice of the timing of the third quarter 2026 earnings release and conference call (yellow), and a Stock Titan report of an amended passive ownership disclosure showing BlackRock holding 1.64 million shares (yellow). Risk watch items include the analyst growth-assumption reduction and the service-shift language in the customer agreement. Per the Butterfly Supply-Chain Graph, the supply chain is marked NONE, with no butterfly links and no proprietary signals.

Open Questions

  • What are the company's reported EPS, free cash flow, and P/E ratios, given that these fields are absent from the source data?
  • What drove the FY 2024 operating loss of $-1062.9M, and what separates that year from the FY 2025 operating profit?
  • What is the scale and timing of the customer service shift referenced in the two-year agreement news?
  • Which analysts reduced growth assumptions, and what current consensus or price targets exist?
  • What is the company's debt maturity schedule and covenant position relative to $1687.2M of debt?

FWRD Live News Feed, Press Releases & Catalyst Wire

Real-time company headlines, analyst actions, and sector developments for Forward Air Corporation (FWRD) • Click "Debate This Headline" to argue it in the Roar Pit below

💬 Jump to FWRD Debate Forum (3) ↓
🔥 THE ROAR PIT • LIVE COMMUNITY DEBATE 3 Active Posts & Replies

FWRD Bull vs. Bear Conversation Board — What's Your Call at $17.62?

🐂 33% BULLISH CONVICTION COMMUNITY TUG-OF-WAR ON FWRD 🐻 67% BEARISH CONVICTION
1. Pick Your Side on FWRD:
💡 Tip: Back up your call with a price target or RQD metric to get upvoted to the top.
RO RoarDesk_Moderator Roarable Research Desk 🐻 BEARISH 🎯 Target: $15.73 (-12.0%)
📌 Pinned Debate

🔥 Official Bull vs. Bear Debate: Is FWRD (E • RQD 25/100) a Buy at $17.87?

Welcome to the FWRD (Forward Air Corporation) Roar Pit. Current RQD Composite is 25/100 (Roarable Strong Sell — Forensic Risk / Avoid) in Integrated Freight & Logistics. Bulls point to operating leverage and sector positioning, while bears focus on macro rate sensitivity and margin execution. Pick your side (🐂 Bull or 🐻 Bear) and drop your price target below.

FO ForensicBear Forensic Accounting Watch 🐻 BEARISH 🎯 Target: $13.94 (-22.0%)
Spot @ $17.87

Pump the brakes on FWRD — check the valuation vs. margin headwinds

Everyone in here is repeating the bull case on FWRD, but look at what you are paying: current EV/EBITDA multiples with tightening sector spreads. Unless Forward Air Corporation expands free cash flow yield next quarter, I would rather wait for a pullback closer to the 200-day moving average before touching this.

MI MidwestValue Verified K Arena Trader 🐂 BULLISH 🎯 Target: $21.44 (+20.0%)
Spot @ $17.87

FWRD cash flow & RQD setup is being underpriced by the Street here

Looking at the 5-pillar RQD breakdown on FWRD, the market is fixating on short-term headline noise in Integrated Freight & Logistics and ignoring the balance sheet and cash flow trajectory. At $17.87 (52-wk range $7.86 - $31.18), any beat on forward guidance forces shorts and underweight funds to chase.

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