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CHRWC.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.Buy Wait4.9·$170.16-2.46%
CHRW · Why this verdict

Why C.H. Robinson Worldwide (CHRW) is rated BUY WAIT

Updated

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

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Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

VerdictBUY WAIT
Overall score4.9/10
ConfidenceMEDIUM
MacroNEUTRAL
TrendMatrix Research · core thesis

Engine thesis — one sentence

C.H. Robinson brings four straight earnings beats with rising analyst estimates, but the stock trades just 0.4% below its near-term price target, producing an unfavorable risk/reward, while declining revenues and an elevated put-to-call ratio of 2.0 suggest the setup favors patience rather than new exposure at current prices.

Falsifiable statement — pillar-level invalidators below. Engine-derived; not personalized advice.

Thesis pillars

The company has beaten analyst estimates in each of the last four consecutive quarters with an average positive surprise near 9.5%, and earnings estimates have been trending upward — a combination that typically signals continued upward revisions.

Stable
Bull case
Expectation
EPS surprise remains positive for the next 2 quarters and analyst earnings estimates for the next fiscal year continue to rise.

CounterFour consecutive beats in a freight-brokerage recovery cycle may reflect a temporarily favorable rate environment rather than durable structural outperformance; estimates rising into a cycle peak can reverse sharply if freight volumes soften.

With the stock trading just 0.4% below its near-term price target, available upside is negligible while downside to the nearest support level is materially larger — the risk/reward ratio is unfavorable and the setup does not meet the asymmetry threshold required for a new position.

Improving
Price targets
Expectation
This pillar is falsified if analyst consensus price targets rise above $210, creating more than 10% upside from the current price of $190.25.

CounterIf the earnings beat streak continues and analysts raise their targets — a pattern seen over the last four quarters — the price ceiling could lift, restoring a more favorable setup.

Revenue has declined approximately 1% year-over-year, and with no discernible competitive moat noted in the quality assessment, the business struggles to expand market share or sustain pricing power in a commoditized logistics market.

Stable
Growth breakdown
Expectation
This pillar is falsified if revenue growth turns positive and exceeds 5% year-over-year for 2 consecutive quarters.

CounterFreight brokerage is inherently cyclical; revenue contraction during a downturn is expected, and a cycle upturn could drive rapid top-line recovery without requiring any structural improvement.

A put-to-call ratio of 2.00 — well above neutral — signals that options market participants have accumulated meaningfully more bearish exposure than bullish, suggesting either institutional hedging or directional conviction on the downside.

Stable
Risk breakdown
Expectation
This pillar is falsified if the put-to-call ratio falls below 1.0 for 2 consecutive weeks, indicating a structural shift in market positioning.

CounterElevated put buying can reflect portfolio hedging by existing long holders rather than directional pessimism; the bearish positioning may represent protection rather than conviction on the downside.

Per-dimension breakdown

Value

4.8/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
P/E3.3
P/S9.5
EV/EBITDA0.0
Fwd P/E5.4
PEG3.9
Analyst target6.0
  • Forward P/E: 23.4x
  • PEG: 2.63

Quality

5.0/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
ROE10.0
ROA6.7
Gross margin0.0
Op margin2.0
Net margin1.8
Current ratio5.8
FCF quality7.4
Moat4.2
Piotroski F6.7
  • Excellent ROE: 35%
  • No competitive moat

Growth

3.1/10data confidence 67%
ComponentSub-score
Rev growth2.3
EPS growth4.0
  • Declining revenue: -1%

Momentum

1.7/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
RSI3.5
MACD0.0
OBV1.0
MA position2.2
Volume1.7
  • Volume distribution (falling OBV)
  • Below 200-MA but MA still rising (+5.6%/30d) — pullback in uptrend, not confirmed weakness

Sentiment

7.1/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
LLM sentiment6.2
Analyst rating7.5
Price target7.6

Insider

7.3/10data confidence 75%
ComponentSub-score
materiality5.0
holder change10.0
notable moves7.0
  • No net insider activity — $0 (0.000% of mkt cap)
  • Institutions accumulating

Peer rank

3.8/10data confidence 80%
ComponentSub-score
value rank3.3
quality rank6.1
growth rank3.1
  • Superior ROE vs peers

Technical

8.0/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
bollinger10.0
support resistance9.6
52w position6.2
gap6.0

Risk (lower is worse)

5.5/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
short interest6.4
days to cover5.4
volatility2.8
put call10.0
implied vol4.1
max pain risk3.0
beta7.5
debt equity5.2
  • Above max pain $150

Catalyst

6.8/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
erm5.0
earnings history10.0
earnings timing5.0
surprise avg7.2
dividend safety5.8
news activity8.0
  • Perfect beat streak: 4Q
  • Earnings in 1 days

How the verdict was assembled

Engine trigger

Earnings in 1 day. Wait until post-earnings.

Engine technical detail
verdict_path: L3:NEWS_BLOCK|ENTRY_STICKY:WITHIN_BAND
Passed (3)
  • INSIDER:OK
  • SEMI_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
  • MATERIALS_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
Failed (3)
  • MOMENTUM:1.7<4.5
  • ASYMMETRY:0.9<1.5@spot
  • EARNINGS_PROXIMITY:1d<=7d
Warning (1)
  • 8K_CSUITE_CHANGE:5.02 (officer departure/appointment)
Reward-to-Risk
0.95
Upside
+7.4%
Downside
7.8%
Sizing output
STARTER

Setup No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed

EdgeNo clear edge No clear edge identified

SuitabilityModerate Balanced profile

Investment implication

A recent news event triggered an L3 news-block on the verdict path. Trigger: Earnings in 1 day. Wait until post-earnings. The 10-dimension scores remain Technical at 8.0 (strongest), but MOMENTUM:1.7<4.5 also fails — the news block is the proximate trigger, not the sole driver.

The strongest dimensions are Technical at 8.0, Insider at 7.3, and Sentiment at 7.1; the weakest are Momentum at 1.7, Growth at 3.1, and Peer rank at 3.8. The V9 engine flagged 3 failed gates with 1 warning, producing an asymmetric reward-to-risk of 0.95 and an engine sizing output of STARTER.

What would invalidate the thesis

Falsifying conditions — when triggered, the corresponding pillar's thesis is invalidated.

  • P1Earnings Beat With Rising Estimates

    Trip ifEPS surprise falls below 0% for 2 consecutive quarters.

  • P2Target Reached Unfavorable Asymmetry

    Trip ifAnalyst consensus price target rises above $210, creating more than 10% upside from the current price of $190.25.

  • P3Declining Revenue No Moat

    Trip ifRevenue growth turns positive and exceeds 5% year-over-year for 2 consecutive quarters.

  • P4Elevated Put Call Options Skew

    Trip ifPut-to-call ratio falls below 1.0 for 2 consecutive weeks.

Engine reasoning is mechanically derived from pipeline gate outputs. See decision view.

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