SNDR vs WERN: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
Last updated September 2026
Short answer
SNDR is the larger of the two ($5.89B market cap): the incumbent the market prices for continued execution (19.61x forward earnings, beta 1.19). WERN is the smaller challenger ($2.27B), priced similarly on forward earnings (17.16x): more room to run, but more to prove. The real question is which set of drivers you believe, and whether owning one (or both) leaves you over-concentrated.
SNDR vs WERN: the tie-breaker metrics
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.
| Metric | SNDR | WERN | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $5.89B | $2.27B | Size. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove. |
| Forward P/E | 19.61 | 17.16 | Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up. |
| Beta | 1.19 | 1.27 | Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through. |
| Price vs 52-week range | 70% of range | 60% of range | Where today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why. |
| Price / book | 1.93 | 1.67 | How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price. |
Before you buy: how SNDR and WERN affect your concentration
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. SNDR and WERN 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 SNDR and WERN 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.
What does Schneider National (SNDR) do?
Schneider National, Inc. is a Green Bay, Wisconsin transportation and logistics company that moves freight across North America. It operates through three main segments: Truckload (dry van, dedicated, and bulk trucking), Intermodal (rail-plus-drayage container service), and Logistics (asset-light freight brokerage and supply-chain services). The company runs one of the largest for-hire fleets in the United States, owns a substantial intermodal container pool, and increasingly leans on dedicated contracts and technology to smooth the cyclicality of the spot truckload market.
What does Werner Enterprises (WERN) do?
Werner Enterprises, Inc. is a transportation and logistics company that moves freight across North America. Its business splits into two main segments: Truckload Transportation Services (TTS), which includes the contract-based Dedicated fleet and the more spot-exposed One-Way Truckload operation, and Werner Logistics, an asset-light brokerage, intermodal, and supply-chain unit. The company has been deliberately tilting its portfolio toward Dedicated, which is contract-driven, more resilient through downturns, and protected by higher barriers to entry, and the early-2026 acquisition of dedicated carrier FirstFleet for roughly $245 million made Werner one of the five largest dedicated carriers in the country.
SNDR vs WERN: how do they differ?
Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.
- SNDR drivers: Freight-cycle recovery leverage; Dedicated and intermodal mix shift.
- WERN drivers: Shift toward Dedicated trucking; FirstFleet acquisition and scale.
Which fits which kind of investor
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: SNDR's results are tightly linked to the freight cycle, so a prolonged truckload downturn, weak spot rates, or persistent industry overcapacity can keep earnings depressed. For WERN, werner's core truckload business is deeply cyclical, so a prolonged freight recession keeps rates and volumes depressed and can push the company back into losses, as the soft 2025 showed.
SNDR or WERN: which should you pick?
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 SNDR if you believe its drivers more; WERN 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 SNDR and WERN guides.
SNDR vs WERN: the full fundamentals
SNDR. As of July 2026, Schneider carries a market cap of roughly $6.4 billion on about $5.7 billion of trailing revenue. The trailing price-to-earnings multiple near the mid-60s looks expensive, but it reflects cyclically depressed truckload earnings rather than premium growth. The forward multiple in the mid-30s and full-year 2026 EPS guidance of roughly $0.70 to $1.00 frame the stock as a recovery play.
WERN. Werner reported about $3.0 billion in revenue in 2025, down slightly year over year, and swung to losses in the weakest quarters of a soft freight market. First-quarter 2026 revenue rose 14 percent to about $809 million and adjusted earnings turned modestly positive, helped by the FirstFleet acquisition and firmer rates. At around $43 per share the market cap sits near $2.6 billion, and the trailing P/E is negative because of the recent net loss, so valuation hinges on a freight recovery and improving Dedicated margins rather than current profits.
Headline figures (approximate, JULY 2026): SNDR shows revenue (ttm) ~$5.7B, net income (fy2025) ~$104M, market cap ~$6.4B, p/e (ttm) ~66x; WERN shows revenue (2025) ~$3.0B, q1 2026 revenue ~$809M (+14% YoY), market cap ~$2.6B, p/e ratio (ttm) ~negative (net loss).
The bottom line: SNDR vs WERN
SNDR and WERN 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 SNDR and WERN exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Wondering how SNDR or WERN fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.
Investing in Schneider National with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how SNDR fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What is the difference between SNDR and WERN?
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Schneider National, Inc. Werner Enterprises, Inc. They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.
Is SNDR or WERN the better stock?
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Neither is universally better. SNDR is the larger incumbent; WERN is the smaller challenger and looks cheaper on forward earnings. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.
Which is cheaper, SNDR or WERN?
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On forward P/E (as of September 2026), SNDR trades at 19.61x and WERN at 17.16x, so WERN is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.
Should you own both SNDR and WERN?
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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.
What are the risks of SNDR vs WERN?
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SNDR: SNDR's results are tightly linked to the freight cycle, so a prolonged truckload downturn, weak spot rates, or persistent industry overcapacity can keep earnings depressed. Fuel-price volatility, driver wages, equipment costs, and used-truck resale values all pressure margins. Intermodal depends on rail-partner service and pricing that Schneider does not fully control. The trailing valuation multiple is elevated on trough earnings, so the stock is vulnerable if a recovery is delayed. Broader macroeconomic softness in retail and manufacturing demand directly reduces freight volumes. WERN: Werner's core truckload business is deeply cyclical, so a prolonged freight recession keeps rates and volumes depressed and can push the company back into losses, as the soft 2025 showed. Margins in trucking are thin and the business is capital-intensive, requiring constant spending on tractors, trailers, and drivers. The FirstFleet acquisition adds integration and debt risk if the expected synergies or dedicated growth do not materialize. Driver availability and wage inflation, fuel-price swings, insurance and litigation costs, and intense competition from larger and lower-cost carriers all pressure profitability. The current negative trailing earnings mean the stock is valued on a hoped-for recovery rather than on stable current profits.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell SNDR or WERN; figures are approximate and dated (as of September 2026). Verify current data before investing.