Analyst Ratings January 29, 2026

BofA Lifts C.H. Robinson Price Target to $225, Cites AI-Driven Productivity Gains

Analyst maintains Buy as Q4 2025 EPS tops estimates; revenue misses and valuation measures temper enthusiasm

By Priya Menon CHRW
BofA Lifts C.H. Robinson Price Target to $225, Cites AI-Driven Productivity Gains
CHRW

BofA Securities raised its price target on C.H. Robinson Worldwide to $225 from $188 and kept a Buy rating after the logistics provider reported fourth-quarter 2025 adjusted EPS of $1.23, beating both BofA and consensus estimates. The bank singled out the company's use of agentic AI and productivity improvements as drivers of margin expansion and market share gains, even as revenue came in below expectations and some valuation metrics signal caution.

Key Points

  • BofA raised its price target on C.H. Robinson to $225 from $188 and maintained a Buy rating.
  • C.H. Robinson reported Q4 2025 adjusted EPS of $1.23, beating BofA's $1.14 and the Street's $1.13; revenue was $3.9 billion versus an expected $3.98 billion.
  • BofA highlighted the company's AI-driven productivity, 13% year-over-year headcount reduction, market share gains, and forecasted $6.00 EPS for 2026 (BofA projects $6.10) with mid-30% enterprise operating margins even without volume growth.

BofA Securities increased its 12-month price objective on C.H. Robinson Worldwide (NASDAQ:CHRW) to $225.00 from $188.00 on Thursday while retaining a Buy rating on the logistics company. The new target implies further upside from CHRW's recent trading level of $184.28, which sits just under its 52-week high of $184.87 after an 86.31% price return over the past six months.

The analyst action follows C.H. Robinson's fourth-quarter 2025 financial results, where adjusted earnings per share reached $1.23, a 2% increase from the prior year. That EPS number exceeded BofA's internal forecast of $1.14 and the consensus Street estimate of $1.13.


Analyst rationale and productivity drivers

BofA pointed to C.H. Robinson as "the defining model of benefits from agentic AI implementation," highlighting continued momentum driven by market share gains, AI-related productivity advances, and incremental margin improvement. The firm noted the company reduced headcount by 13% year-over-year, surpassing BofA's expectation of a 12% reduction.

InvestingPro data referenced by analysts shows a PEG ratio of 0.5 for C.H. Robinson, suggesting the stock may be trading at a low price-to-earnings level relative to near-term earnings growth, despite a current P/E of 37.37.


Segment performance and guidance context

In its North American Surface Transportation unit, which accounts for 72% of gross revenue, the company reported combined truckload and less-than-truckload volume growth of 1% year-over-year, outperforming the market as measured by the CASS Shipment Index, which declined 7.6% over the same period.

CFO Damon Lee reiterated management's objective of reaching $6.00 in earnings per share for 2026. BofA's forecast is slightly higher at $6.10 and anticipates mid-30% enterprise operating margins even in the absence of broader market volume growth.


Valuation and technical indicators

While productivity gains and AI implementation have drawn bullish attention from BofA, InvestingPro analysis included with the reporting signals caution on valuation. The fair value assessment in that analysis suggests the stock appears overvalued, and the relative strength index (RSI) positions the shares in what the data identifies as overbought territory. Additional Pro Research materials referenced include more than 20 ProTips and comprehensive metrics for deeper investor review.


Other broker notes and quarterly details

C.H. Robinson's quarter showed a mixed result on top of the earnings beat: fourth-quarter revenue was $3.9 billion, missing an expected $3.98 billion by 2.01%. Following the release, BMO Capital raised its price target on the company to $180 from $160 while maintaining a Market Perform rating. BMO cited productivity gains and attributed them to a lean, technology-enabled operating model.

Taken together, the earnings beat on EPS, revenue shortfall, and the diverging analyst views on valuation and near-term upside illustrate a complex picture for the company as it pushes efficiency initiatives and AI-driven changes across its operations.


What this means for markets

The developments affect participants in logistics, freight transportation, and enterprise technology adoption within supply chains. Analysts' upgraded targets and commentary around AI-driven productivity may influence investor sentiment toward companies blending tech with asset-light logistics models, while the revenue miss and valuation signals could temper near-term trading enthusiasm.

Risks

  • Revenue shortfall risk - Fourth-quarter revenue of $3.9 billion missed expectations by 2.01%, which may indicate demand or pricing pressures in the freight and logistics market.
  • Valuation and technical risk - InvestingPro analysis flags the stock as appearing overvalued on a fair value basis and its RSI suggests overbought conditions, which could increase downside risk for equity investors.
  • Market-volume dependence - Although BofA projects mid-30% enterprise operating margins without market volume growth, realization of margin targets may still be sensitive to freight volume trends and pricing dynamics in North American transportation.

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