Werner EnterprisesWERN -0.05%85 Operating Margin % is 0.49% as of Mar. 2026, which is 94% below its 10-year median of 7.96. GuruFocus rates WERN with a GF Score™ of 85/100 and a GF Value™ of $38.87 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 12 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,007 Transportation companies, Werner Enterprises ranks worse than 77.46% on this metric.
Werner Enterprises Inc has recorded a loss in operating income at least once over the past 3 years.
Werner Enterprises (NAS:WERN) Operating Margin % Explanation
Just like Gross Margin %, it is important to see a company maintains its operating margin over time. Among the same industry, a company with higher operating margin is more efficient in its operation. It is also more stable during industry slowdown or recessions. Peter Lynch prefers those with higher margins than those with lower margins.
Be Aware
Operating Margin % can be manipulated by adjusting the rate of depreciation, depletion and amortization (DDA).
If a company is facing competition, its Operating Margin % may decline. Often the Operating Margin % declines well before the company's Revenue or even profit decline. Therefore, Operating Margin % is a very important indicator of whether the company is facing problems.
For instance, by 2012, Nokia (NOK)'s problems were well known and its stock had lost more than 90% of its market value since 2007. But Nokias Operating Margin % had already been in decline since 2002, although its Earnings per Share (Diluted) were still rising. Investors who paid attention to Operating Margin % would have avoided this huge loss. The same can be said for Research-in-Motion (RIMM).
Therefore, Operating Margin % is a very important screening filter for GuruFocus. GuruFocus's Buffett-Munger screener requires that the profit margin is either consistent or expanding. The Model Portfolio of the Buffett-Munger screener has outperformed the market every year since inception in 2009.
Werner Enterprises Operating Margin % Related Terms
Werner Enterprises Operating Margin % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Werner Enterprises's Operating Margin % can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
WERN vs ARCB, MRTN, HTLD: Operating Margin % Comparison
For the Trucking subindustry, Werner Enterprises's Operating Margin %, along with its competitors' market caps and Operating Margin % data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Werner Enterprises Operating Margin % vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Werner Enterprises's Operating Margin % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Werner Enterprises's Operating Margin % falls into.
Operating Margin % - also known as operating income margin, operating profit margin and return on sales (ROS) - is the ratio of Operating Income divided by net sales or Revenue, usually presented in percent.
Werner Enterprises's Operating Margin % for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2025 is calculated as
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Werner Enterprises (WERN) has a Operating Margin % of 0.49% as of Mar. 2026. Operating margin is the ratio of total operating income to net sales. View historical data on Werner Enterprises and its competitors. This is 94% below median its historical median of 7.96. Over the past decade, Werner Enterprises' Operating Margin % has ranged from 1.88 to 11.31. According to the industry distribution chart, Werner Enterprises ranks #780 out of 1007 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 77.5%.
Is Werner Enterprises' Operating Margin % too high?
Werner Enterprises' current Operating Margin % of 0.49% is 94% below median its 10-year median of 7.96. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.88 to a high of 11.31. The Transportation industry median Operating Margin % is 7.36. Werner Enterprises' value of 0.49% is 93.3% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Werner Enterprises ranks #780 out of 1007 companies in the Transportation industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Werner Enterprises has a GF Score™ of 85/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Werner Enterprises' Operating Margin % compare to ARCB and MRTN?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, Werner Enterprises ranks #780 out of 1007 companies for Operating Margin %. This places Werner Enterprises in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Operating Margin % is 7.36. Werner Enterprises' value of 0.49% is 93.3% below this benchmark. Historically, Werner Enterprises' own Operating Margin % has ranged from 1.88 to 11.31 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 7.96 vs. the industry median of 7.36, Werner Enterprises has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Operating Margin % for a Transportation company?
The median Operating Margin % among Transportation companies is 7.36, based on 1,007 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Operating Margin % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Operating Margin % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Werner Enterprises's current Operating Margin % of 0.49% is 93.3% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Operating Margin % mean?
A high Operating Margin % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Operating margin is the ratio of total operating income to net sales. View historical data on Werner Enterprises and its competitors. For the Transportation industry, the median Operating Margin % is 7.36 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Werner Enterprises's current Operating Margin % is 0.49%, which is 94% below median its own 10-year median of 7.96. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Werner Enterprises stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Werner Enterprises (WERN) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $38.87, compared to a current price of $40.99 — trading 5.5% above its estimated fair value. The current Operating Margin % is 0.49%, which is 94% below median its 10-year median of 7.96 and 93.3% below the Transportation industry median of 7.36. Werner Enterprises' overall GF Score™ is 85/100 with 12 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Operating Margin % calculated?
Operating Margin % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Werner Enterprises (WERN), the current Operating Margin % is 0.49% as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Werner Enterprises (WERN) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Werner Enterprises stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $40.99 is trading 5.5% above its estimated GF Value™ of $38.87.
GuruFocus considers Werner Enterprises to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for WERN:
Operating Margin %: 0.49% (94% below median its 10-year median of 7.96)
GF Value™: $38.87 vs. price of $40.99 (5.5% above fair value)
Industry Position: 93.3% below the Transportation median (#780 of 1007)
No single metric tells the full story. See the WERN stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Werner Enterprises Inc is a transportation and logistics company engaged in transporting truckload shipments of general commodities in both interstate and intrastate commerce. The company has two reportable segments - Truckload Transportation Services and Werner Logistics. It derives majority of its revenue from full-truckload transportation services and geographically from United States.
85GF Score
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