Knight-Swift Transportation (KNX) could benefit from tighter trucking supply, higher freight rates, stricter broker checks, and stronger pricing over the next two years, UBS Securities said in a note Monday.
A recent Supreme Court ruling in the Montgomery case could increase broker liability in accident claims and drive insurance costs significantly higher, the brokerage said.
UBS said smaller brokers may exit the market, while shippers and brokers could adopt stricter safety-based carrier screening, reducing reliance on smaller or lower-rated carriers. These changes could favor large asset-based truckload carriers such as Knight-Swift, which may gain market share and secure higher rates.
The investment firm raised its 2026 truckload spot rate forecast to 26% growth from 21% and now expects Knight-Swift's realized pricing to rise 23% in 2027 versus 2025.
UBS kept its buy rating on Knight-Swift and lifted its price target to $94 from $79, saying the stock remains its preferred way to benefit from rising truckload rates and raising its 2027 earnings estimate to $4.70 per share from $4.15.
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