A 'Truckload' Of Stock Picks
The way Thomas Wadewitz sees it, it just might be time to load up a portfolio with trucking company stocks, and get ready to watch it move.
"The near-term outlook is kind of tough, because demand, obviously, is very weak, but we think if you look out a year, theres some very good opportunity in some of the better-quality names," the JPMorgan transportation analyst told CNBC.
He thinks it's important to distinguish between the "truckload" carriers and the "less than truckload" (LTL) carriers.
"The over-capacity that we see in the LTL group is much greater," he said. "It's also a network-based business with higher fixed costs...but in the truckload industry we're a lot more optimistic."
So which truckload carriers does he like the most?
Recommendations:
"Our top pick is Knight Transportation," he said. "It's historically been one of the better growth truckload stocks; we think that, coming out of the downturn, it will be in the best position to shift back into a higher gear."
He also likes J.B. Hunt.
"We think they're really a share gainer," he said. "As the economy improves, looking out far enough, we think they can benefit from rationalization in the truckload capacity."
Disclosures:
J.B. Hunt is an investment banking client of Wadewitz's firm.
