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Forward Air has the Financial Strength Rank of 3. It displays poor financial strength and is likely in financial distress. Usually this is caused by too much debt for the company.
Warning Sign:
Forward Air Corp displays poor financial strength. Usually, this is caused by too much debt for the company.
GuruFocus Financial Strength Rank measures how strong a company's financial situation is. It is rated on a scale of 1 to 10 and is based on these factors:
1. The debt burden that the company has as measured by its Interest Coverage (current year). The higher, the better.
2. Debt to revenue ratio. The lower, the better.
3. Altman Z-Score.
4. Other debt related ratios.
A higher score indicates a stronger financial position, with companies rated 7 or above considered financially stable and unlikely to face distress. Conversely, a score of 3 or below suggests potential financial difficulties, indicating a higher risk of distress.
Forward Air's Interest Coverage for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 0.47.
Forward Air's debt to revenue ratio for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 0.92.
As of today, Forward Air's Altman Z-Score is 0.86.
Forward Air (NAS:FWRD) Financial Strength Explanation
The rank is rated on a scale of 1 to 10. A higher score indicates a stronger financial position, with companies rated 7 or above considered financially stable and unlikely to face distress. Conversely, a score of 3 or below suggests potential financial difficulties, indicating a higher risk of distress.
Forward Air has the Financial Strength Rank of 3. It displays poor financial strength and is likely in financial distress. Usually this is caused by too much debt for the company.
Forward Air Financial Strength Related Terms
FWRD vs RLGT, CYRX, PAL: Financial Strength Comparison
For the Integrated Freight & Logistics subindustry, Forward Air's Financial Strength, along with its competitors' market caps and Financial Strength 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.
Forward Air Financial Strength vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Forward Air's Financial Strength distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Forward Air's Financial Strength falls into.
Interest Coverage is a ratio that determines how easily a company can pay interest expenses on outstanding debt. It is calculated by dividing a company's Operating Income (EBIT) by its Interest Expense:
The higher the ratio, the stronger the company's financial strength is.
Warning Sign:
Ben Graham prefers companies' interest coverage to be at least 5. Forward Air Corps earnings cannot cover its interest expense. If the situation continues, the company may have to issue more debt.
2. Debt to revenue ratio. The lower, the better.
Forward Air's Debt to Revenue Ratio for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is
Z-Score model is an accurate forecaster of failure up to two years prior to distress. It can be considered the assessment of the distress of industrial corporations.
The zones of discrimination were as such:
When Z-Score is less than 1.81, it is in Distress Zones.
When Z-Score is greater than 2.99, it is in Safe Zones.
When Z-Score is between 1.81 and 2.99, it is in Grey Zones.
Forward Air has a Z-score of 0.86, indicating it is in Distress Zones. This implies bankrupcy possibility in the next two years.
Warning Sign:
Altman Z-score of 0.86 is in distress zone. This implies bankruptcy possibility in the next two years.
* 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.
Forward Air (FWRD) has a Financial Strength of 3 as of Mar. 2026. The financial strength rank measures the strength of a company's balance sheet based on revenue and debt. View historical data on Forward Air and its competitors. This is 63% below median its historical median of 8.00. Over the past decade, Forward Air's Financial Strength has ranged from 3.00 to 9.00.
Is Forward Air's Financial Strength too high?
Forward Air's current Financial Strength of 3 is 63% below median its 10-year median of 8.00. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 3.00 to a high of 9.00. Overall, Forward Air has a GF Score™ of 56/100 and is considered Possible Value Trap, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Forward Air's Financial Strength compare to RLGT and CYRX?
Forward Air's Financial Strength of 3 can be compared against companies in the Transportation industry. Historically, Forward Air's own Financial Strength has ranged from 3.00 to 9.00 over the past decade. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Financial Strength for a Transportation company?
A good Financial Strength depends on the Transportation industry context. However, Financial Strength should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Financial Strength mean?
A high Financial Strength can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The financial strength rank measures the strength of a company's balance sheet based on revenue and debt. View historical data on Forward Air and its competitors. Forward Air's current Financial Strength is 3, which is 63% below median its own 10-year median of 8.00. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Forward Air stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Forward Air (FWRD) is currently considered Possible Value Trap. The stock's GF Value™ is $32.72, compared to a current price of $14.67 — trading 55.2% below its estimated fair value. The current Financial Strength is 3, which is 63% below median its 10-year median of 8.00. Forward Air's overall GF Score™ is 56/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Financial Strength calculated?
Financial Strength is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Forward Air (FWRD), the current Financial Strength is 3 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 Forward Air (FWRD) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Forward Air stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $14.67 is trading 55.2% below its estimated GF Value™ of $32.72.
GuruFocus considers Forward Air to be Possible Value Trap.
Key valuation signals for FWRD:
Financial Strength: 3 (63% below median its 10-year median of 8.00)
GF Value™: $32.72 vs. price of $14.67 (55.2% below fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the FWRD stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Forward Air Corp is an asset-light freight and logistics company. The company's operating segment includes Expedited Freight, Omni Logistics, and Intermodal and Corporate. The company generates maximum revenue from the Omni Logistics segment. The expedited Freight segment operates a comprehensive national network to provide expedited regional, inter-regional, and national LTL (less-than-truckload) services. It also offers customers local pick-up and delivery and other services including final mile, truckload, shipment consolidation and deconsolidation, warehousing, customs brokerage, and other handling. The Company conducts business in North and South America, Europe, and Asia.
56GF Score
Get the complete analysis for FWRD
Financial Strength is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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