CHRW vs LSTR: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of September 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Reading it: CHRW is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. CHRW and LSTR share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined CHRW and LSTR exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

C.H. Robinson Worldwide is one of the world's largest logistics platforms, operating an asset-light model: it owns very few trucks or ships and instead brokers capacity, matching shippers who need goods moved with the carriers that move them. Its two core engines are North American Surface Transportation (NAST, roughly two-thirds of net revenue, spanning truckload and less-than-truckload brokerage) and Global Forwarding (ocean, air, and customs). The company earns a spread between what shippers pay and what carriers charge, so its profitability tracks freight-market pricing and volume cycles more than gross revenue, which simply passes through freight costs.

Full CHRW guide

Landstar System is a North American asset-light truckload and specialized freight company. Instead of owning a large fleet, it runs an outsourced network: more than 1,100 independent commission sales agents originate and manage freight, while capacity is provided by roughly 11,000 leased owner-operator truckers (called business capacity owners, or BCOs) plus a vetted database of third-party carriers used for overflow. Agents earn commissions tied to the gross profit on each load, and truckers keep most of the linehaul revenue, which converts fixed costs into variable costs and lets Landstar stay profitable and cash-generative across freight cycles. The company specializes in van, flatbed, heavy haul and project cargo, and is particularly strong in flatbed and oversized loads, supported by its Galaxy transportation management system and internal load board.

Full LSTR guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• CHRW drivers: Margin expansion through automation and cost discipline; Scale and network advantage as the #1 broker.
• LSTR drivers: Asset-light, high-return model; Freight-cycle recovery leverage.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: CHRW operates in an intensely competitive, low-margin industry where it faces asset-based carriers (J.B. For LSTR, landstar is highly cyclical: its revenue and profits track truckload volumes and spot rates, which fell sharply during the 2023 to 2025 freight recession and can weaken again in an economic slowdown.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick CHRW if you believe its drivers more; LSTR if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the CHRW and LSTR guides.

CHRW. CHRW trades at a premium mid-30s P/E, a multiple that reflects the market crediting its recent margin turnaround and pricing in an eventual freight-cycle recovery rather than current revenue growth (2025 revenue fell about 8 percent as freight costs passed through lower). Q1 2026 continued the pattern: revenue was roughly flat near $4.0 billion while EPS grew about 15 percent year over year to $1.35. The dividend yields around 1.5 percent with a multi-year record of increases.

LSTR. Landstar's valuation looks full: the trailing P/E sits in the 50s to 60s because earnings are depressed near a freight-cycle trough, and even the forward multiple around the low 30s prices in a solid recovery. The balance sheet is strong, with low debt and over $400 million in cash, supporting a growing dividend and buybacks. Because reported earnings swing widely with the cycle, headline multiples can look expensive at troughs and cheap at peaks, so cycle context matters more than a single P/E snapshot.

Headline figures (approximate, July 2026): CHRW shows revenue (2025 / ttm) ~$16.2B, net income (2025) ~$587M, diluted eps (2025) ~$4.83, market cap ~$20B; LSTR shows revenue (ttm) ~$4.8 billion, q1 2026 revenue ~$1.17 billion (up ~2% YoY), q1 2026 eps ~$1.16 (up ~36% YoY), market cap ~$7.2 billion.

CHRW and LSTR are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined CHRW and LSTR exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.