Expeditors International of Washington Inc.

05/06/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/06/2026 13:47

Quarterly Report for Quarter Ending March 31, 2026 (Form 10-Q)

Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements Under Private Securities Litigation Reform Act Of 1995; Certain Cautionary Statements

Certain portions of this report on Form 10-Q including the sections entitled "Overview," "Summary of First Quarter 2026," "Industry Trends, Trade Conditions and Competition," "Seasonality," "Critical Accounting Estimates," "Results of Operations," "Income tax expense," "Currency and Other Risk Factors" and "Liquidity and Capital Resources" contain forward-looking statements. Words such as "will likely result," "expects", "are expected to," "would expect," "would not expect," "will continue," "is anticipated," "estimate," "project," "provisional," "plan," "believe," "probable," "reasonably possible," "may," "could," "should," "would," "intends," "foreseeable future" or similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In addition, any statements that refer to projections of future financial performance, our anticipated growth and trends in the Company's businesses, signs of a slowing economy and drop in demand, future supply chain and transportation disruptions and other characterizations of disruptive events or circumstances are forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including risks associated with the impact of tariffs or other government actions on global trade volumes and economies, and tax audits and other contingencies that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience and our present expectations or projections. These statements must be considered in connection with the discussion of the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Attention should be given to the risk factors identified and discussed in Part I, Item 1A in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K filed on February 25, 2026. Management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as of this filing date and we do not assume any obligations to update these statements except as required by law.

Overview

Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (herein referred to as "Expeditors," the "Company," "we," "us," "our") provides a full suite of global logistics services. Our services include air and ocean freight consolidation and forwarding, customs brokerage, warehousing and distribution, purchase order management, vendor consolidation, time-definite transportation services, temperature-controlled transit, cargo insurance, specialized cargo monitoring and tracking, and other supply chain solutions. We do not compete for overnight courier or small parcel business. As a non-asset-based carrier, we do not own or operate transportation assets.

We derive our revenues by entering into agreements that are generally comprised of a single performance obligation, which is that freight is shipped for and received by our customer. Each performance obligation is comprised of one or more of the Company's services. We typically satisfy our performance obligations as services are rendered over time. A typical shipment would include services rendered at origin, such as pick-up and delivery to port, freight services from origin to destination port and destination services, such as customs clearance and final delivery. Our principal services are the revenue categories presented in our financial statements: 1) airfreight services, 2) ocean freight and ocean services, and 3) customs brokerage and other services. The most significant drivers of changes in gross revenues and related transportation expenses are volume, sell rates and buy rates. Volume has a similar effect on the change in both gross revenues and related transportation expenses in each of our three primary sources of revenue.

We generate the major portion of our air and ocean freight revenues by purchasing transportation services on a volume basis from direct (asset-based) carriers and then reselling that space to our customers. The rate billed to our customers (the sell rate) is recognized as revenues and the rate we pay to the carrier (the buy rate) is recognized in operating expenses as the directly related cost of transportation and other expenses. By consolidating shipments from multiple customers and concentrating our buying power, we are able to negotiate favorable buy rates from the direct carriers, while at the same time offering lower sell rates than customers would otherwise be able to negotiate themselves.

In most cases, we act as an indirect carrier. When acting as an indirect carrier, we issue a House Air Waybill (HAWB), a House Ocean Bill of Lading (HOBL) or a House Sea Waybill to customers as the contract of carriage. In turn, when the freight is physically tendered to a direct carrier, we receive a contract of carriage known as a Master Air Waybill for airfreight shipments and a Master Ocean Bill of Lading for ocean shipments.

Customs brokerage and other services involve providing services at destination, such as helping customers clear shipments through customs by preparing and filing required documentation, calculating, and providing for payment of duties and other taxes on behalf of customers as well as arranging for any required inspections by governmental agencies, and import services such as arranging for local pick up, storage and delivery at destination. These are complicated functions requiring technical knowledge of customs rules and regulations in the multitude of countries in which we have offices. We also provide other value-added services at destination, such as warehousing and distribution, time-definitive transportation services and consulting.

We manage our company along geographic areas of responsibility: Americas; North Asia; South Asia; Europe; and Middle East, Africa and India (MAIR). Each area is divided into sub-regions that are composed of operating units with individual profit and loss responsibility. Our business involves shipments between operating units and typically touches more than one geographic area. The nature of the international logistics business necessitates a high degree of communication and cooperation among operating units. Because of this inter-relationship between operating units, it is very difficult to examine any one geographic area and draw meaningful conclusions as to its contribution to our overall success on a stand-alone basis.

Our operating units share revenue using the same arm's-length pricing methodologies that we use when our offices transact business with independent agents. Certain costs are allocated among the segments based on the relative value of the underlying services, which can include allocation based on actual costs incurred or estimated cost plus a profit margin. Our strategy closely links compensation with operating unit profitability, which includes shared revenues and allocated costs. Therefore, individual success is closely linked to cooperation with other operating units within our network. The mix of services varies by segment based primarily on the import or export orientation of local operations in each of our regions.

Summary of First Quarter 2026

The significant impacts are discussed within "Results of Operations" and summarized below.

Revenues increased 4% as strong performance in most services was partially offset by a significant drop in ocean freight services.
Customs brokerage and other services revenues increased 17% and airfreight services revenues increased 14%.
Revenue from ocean freight and other services decreased 23% due to significant decreases in average ocean sell rates and buy rates and a 4% decline in ocean containers shipped. Demand for ocean services declined after U.S. importers accelerated shipments in anticipation of trade tariffs changes in early 2025.
Airfreight services, road freight and warehousing and distribution services (included with customs brokerage and other services) all benefited from continued strong demand from our technology customers investing in artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Operating income increased 11% and net earnings to shareholders increased 13%, as compared to the first quarter of 2025.
Earnings per share increased 16% to $1.71.
Cash from operating activities was $309 million, down from $343 million in the first quarter of 2025.
We returned $288 million to shareholders through common stock repurchases.

Industry Trends, Trade Conditions and Competition

We operate in over 60 countries in the competitive global logistics industry and our activities are closely tied to the global economy. International trade is influenced by many factors, including economic and political conditions in the United States and abroad, currency exchange rates, laws and policies relating to tariffs, trade restrictions, foreign investment and taxation. Governments periodically consider changes to tariffs and impose trade restrictions and accords. Starting in the first quarter of 2025, the United States Government undertook a substantial global trade rebalancing effort resulting in significantly higher tariffs on imports. Throughout 2025 additional tariffs on imports into the United States for certain sectors and many countries became effective. There are currently threatened or actual retaliatory tariffs and trade actions from several countries, including China. On February 20, 2026, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling on certain tariffs imposed in the United States under the International Emergency

Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The ruling invalidates many of the tariffs imposed on imports to the United States in 2025, however it does not invalidate sectoral tariffs on steel, aluminum and their derivative products. The decision also allows for potential refunds; in April 2026 U.S. Customs and Border Protection started deploying processes to file refunds requests. We are currently assessing the impact this ruling and the related refund process, as well as resulting tariff changes, will have on our customs brokerage services, including post-entry activity. The decision could also spur new sectoral tariffs in the United States and introduce additional uncertainty with respect to current and future U.S. trade policy and impact global trade flows. We cannot predict how changes in tariffs and trade restrictions will affect our business. Additionally, the constant changes in trade regulations since the beginning of 2025 are adding complexity to the customs declarations process, making compliance with regulations increasingly challenging.

Doing business in foreign locations also subjects us to a variety of risks and considerations not normally encountered by domestic enterprises. In addition to being influenced by governmental policies and inter-governmental disputes concerning international trade, our business may also be negatively affected by political developments and changes in government personnel or policies in the United States and other countries, as well as economic turbulence, conflicts, political unrest and security concerns in the nations and on the trade shipping routes in which we conduct business. Starting in late February 2026 the operations of our offices in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates were disrupted by the conflict with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict has affected available airfreight capacity beyond the Middle East, prevented cargo ships from navigating through the Persian Gulf and delayed expected resumption of traffic through the Suez Canal. The impact on capacity and oil prices resulted in air and ocean carriers implementing surcharges in March 2026. The financial impact on our MAIR region operations in the first quarter 2026 is not material and is mitigated by our ability to adjust the routing of our customers' shipments. The future impact that these events may have on international trade, oil prices and security costs is uncertain. We do not have employees, assets, or operations in Russia, Ukraine, Israel, the Gaza Strip or the West Bank. While limited, any shipment activity is conducted with independent agents in those countries in compliance with all applicable trade sanctions, laws and regulations.

Our ability to provide services to our customers is highly dependent on good working relationships with a variety of entities, including airlines, ocean carriers and ground transportation providers, as well as governmental agencies. We select and engage with best-in-class, compliance-focused, efficiently run, growth-oriented partners, based upon defined value elements and are intentional in our relationship and performance management activity. We consider our current working relationships with these entities to be satisfactory. However, changes in the financial stability; operating capabilities, and the capacity of asset-based carriers; capacity allotments available from carriers; governmental regulation or deregulation efforts; modernization of the regulations governing customs brokerage; and/or changes in governmental restrictions, quota restrictions or trade accords could affect our business in unpredictable ways. When the market experiences seasonal peaks or any sort of disruption, the carriers often increase their pricing suddenly. This carrier behavior creates pricing volatility that could impact Expeditors' ability to maintain historical unitary profitability.

The global economic and trade environments remain highly uncertain; including inflation remaining high, increases in oil prices, and the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. In the first quarter of 2025, we saw high demand on exports out of Asia and continued to see high demand on exports out of South Asia in the second quarter 2025, resulting in high average sell and buy rates where demand exceeded carrier capacity. In the first quarter of 2026 we saw excess available capacity compared to demand for ocean freight which continued to put pressure on ocean sell and buy rates. Additional ocean and air transportation capacity will become available as demand softens due to uncertainty in geopolitical, economic conditions and trade regulations. These conditions have resulted in pricing volatility that we expect to continue as carriers adapt to changes in demand, changing fuel prices, available capacity, security risks and react to governmental trade policies and other regulations. Additionally, we cannot predict the direct or indirect impact that further changes in purchasing behavior, such as the evolution of international direct e-commerce platforms, could have on our business. Some customers are relocating manufacturing to other countries to mitigate the impact of higher tariffs on imports, reduce their supply chain risks, address disruptions caused by pandemics and geopolitical issues. These changes could negatively affect our business.

Seasonality

Historically, our operating results have been subject to seasonal demand trends with the first quarter being the weakest and the third and fourth quarters being the strongest; however, there is no assurance that this seasonal trend will occur in the future or to what degree it will be impacted by an uncertain economy. This historical pattern has been the result of, or influenced by, numerous factors, including weather patterns, national holidays, consumer demand, new product launches, just-in-time inventory models, economic conditions, pandemics, governmental policies, inter-governmental disputes and a myriad of other similar and subtle forces.

A significant portion of our revenues is derived from customers in the retail and technology industries whose shipping patterns are tied closely to consumer demand, as well as the scaling of AI infrastructure, and from customers in industries whose shipping patterns are dependent upon just-in-time production schedules. Therefore, the timing of our revenues is, to a large degree, impacted by factors out of our control, such as a sudden change in consumer demand for retail goods, changes in trade tariffs, product launches, disruptions in supply chains and/or manufacturing production delays. Additionally, many customers ship a significant portion of their goods at or near the end of a quarter and, therefore, we may not learn of a shortfall in revenues until late in a quarter.

To the extent that a shortfall in revenues or earnings was not expected by securities analysts or investors, any such shortfall from levels predicted by securities analysts or investors could have an immediate and adverse effect on the trading price of our stock. We cannot accurately forecast many of these factors, nor can we estimate accurately the relative influence of any particular factor and, as a result, there can be no assurance that historical patterns will continue in future periods.

Critical Accounting Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires us to make estimates and judgments. We base our estimates on historical experience and on assumptions that we believe are reasonable. Our critical accounting estimates are discussed in Part II, Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" section of our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed on February 25, 2026. There have been no material changes to the critical accounting estimates previously disclosed in that report.

Results of Operations

The following table shows the revenues, directly related cost of transportation and other expenses for our principal services and our overhead expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, including the respective percentage changes comparing 2026 and 2025.

The table and the accompanying discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto in this quarterly report.

Three months ended March 31,

(in thousands)

2026

2025

Percentage
change

Airfreight services:

Revenues

$

1,030,863

$

901,760

14%

Expenses

769,483

648,494

Ocean freight services and ocean services:

Revenues

598,884

781,665

(23)

Expenses

416,021

573,901

(28)

Customs brokerage and other services:

Revenues

1,153,215

982,994

Expenses

625,647

554,280

Overhead expenses:

Salaries and related costs

499,571

457,937

Other

177,412

165,949

Total overhead expenses

676,983

623,886

Operating income

294,828

265,858

Other income, net

11,658

10,023

Earnings before income taxes

306,486

275,881

Income tax expense

76,442

71,782

Net earnings

230,044

204,099

Less net earnings attributable to
the noncontrolling interest

434

304

Net earnings attributable to shareholders

$

229,610

$

203,795

13%

Airfreight services:

Airfreight services revenues and expenses increased 14% and 19%, respectively, during the three months ended March 31, 2026, as compared with the same period in 2025, due to 9% and 14% increases in average sell and buy rates, respectively, and a 5% increase in tonnage. Tonnage improved in 2026 as a result of increased market demand by the technology sector compared to the first quarter of 2025.

Tonnage increased on exports from North Asia, South Asia and MAIR during the three months ended March 31, 2026, as compared with the same period in 2025, as demand from technology customers remained strong while being partially offset by lower volumes from North America and Europe.

Average sell rates increased during the three months ended March 31, 2026 as compared to the same period in 2025 on exports out of North Asia and Europe as higher carrier buy rates from the fourth quarter of 2025 were passed on to customers in the first quarter of 2026. Average buy rates increased during the three months ended March 31, 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, most significantly on exports out of North Asia and Europe as demand from technology customers remained strong. During the latter part of March and continuing in the first few weeks of the second quarter growth in sell rates has outpaced growth in buy rates amid capacity constraints caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

Seasonal changes in demand, impact from disruptions in the ocean market due to security concerns, jet fuel prices and supply disruptions, and variable demand for airfreight capacity from direct e-commerce business could cause volatility in average buy rates on certain routes. Additionally, geopolitical concerns, the conflict in the Middle East, inter-governmental trade disputes and the dynamic trade environment on imports to the U.S. create uncertainty in the economy. As shippers and carriers react to these volatile conditions, it may negatively affect demand for airfreight services, which could significantly reduce our volumes in the coming quarters. Though we are unable to predict how these uncertainties and any future disruptions may affect our operations or financial results prospectively, these conditions could result in significant decreases in our revenues and operating income.

Ocean freight and ocean services:

Ocean freight and ocean services consists of three basic services: ocean freight consolidation, order management and direct ocean forwarding. Ocean freight and ocean services revenues and expense decreased 23% and 28%, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2026, as compared with the same period in 2025. The largest component of our ocean freight and ocean services revenue is derived from ocean freight consolidation, which represented 60% and 71% of ocean freight and ocean services revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively.

Ocean freight consolidation revenues and expense decreased 35% and 37%, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2026, as compared with the same period in 2025, primarily due to 33% and 32% decreases in average sell and buy rates and a 4% decrease in containers shipped. Containers shipped decreased most significantly on exports out of North Asia which was partially offset by increases in South Asia. The declines in average buy rates and sell rates are due to continued available capacity exceeding demand. Sell and buy rates in the first quarter of 2026 were comparable to the fourth quarter of 2025.

North Asia ocean freight and ocean services revenues and expenses decreased 38% and 40%, respectively, driven by 38% and 37% decreases in average sell and buy rates and a 12% decrease in containers shipped as customers accelerated shipments from China in the first half of the 2025 in anticipation of tariff changes.

Order management revenues and expenses increased 13%, and 12%, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2026, respectively, as compared to the same period in 2025 due to higher volumes from new and existing customers. Direct ocean freight forwarding revenues and expenses remained relatively flat for the three months ended March 31, 2026, as compared to the same period in 2025.

The global economic and trade environment are increasingly volatile with uncertainty in trade tariffs and inter-governmental disputes. Recent geopolitical tensions, most notably the Iran conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, have introduced additional risks. Further, carriers are expected to add new vessels in 2026 and 2027. While some volumes are shifting to other routes and as customers look to mitigate their exposure to U.S./China-specific tariffs, it is too early to know what the overall long-term impact on volumes might be. If safe passage through the Red Sea resumes, additional capacity will become available due to shorter transit times. These conditions could further depress sell and buy rates and cause decreases in our revenues and operating income, depending on how carriers adapt to conditions and manage available capacity.

Customs brokerage and other services:

Customs brokerage and other services revenues increased 17% and expenses increased 13% for the three months ended March 31, 2026, as compared with the same period in 2025. These changes are primarily due to increases in the number and complexity of customs clearances, road freight and warehousing and distribution. The continued complexity in customs brokerage due to the dynamic trade environment has resulted in higher fees and growing demand for our brokerage services from customers across many business sectors. Our road freight and warehousing and distribution services continued to be sustained by demand from the technology sector, leading to higher shipment volumes, principally in North America and Europe.

North America revenues increased 18% and expenses increased 13% for the three months ended March 31, 2026, as compared with the same period in 2025. Europe revenues increased 20% and expenses increased 16%, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2026, as compared with the same period in 2025.

Customers value our brokerage services due to an increasingly dynamic and complex trade environment, and its impact on the declaration process. They seek knowledgeable customs brokers with operational capacity and sophisticated systems capabilities critical to an overall logistics management program that are necessary to rapidly respond to changes in the regulatory and security environment. Should international trade slow or there is substantial removal of tariffs, our revenues and operating income could be negatively impacted.

Overhead expenses:

Salaries and related costs increased 9% for the three months ended March 31, 2026 as compared with the same period in 2025, principally due to a 6% increase in headcount, increases in base salaries and higher incentive compensation from improved operating results.

Historically, the relatively consistent relationship between salaries and operating income has been the result of a compensation philosophy that has been maintained since the inception of our company: offer a modest base salary and the opportunity to share in a fixed and determinable percentage of the operating profit of the business unit controlled by each key employee. Using this compensation model, changes in individual incentive compensation occur in proportion to changes in our operating income, creating an alignment between branch and corporate performance and shareholder interests.

Our management compensation programs have always been incentive-based and performance driven. Total bonuses to field and executive management for the three months ended March 31, 2026, increased 4%, when compared to the same period in 2025, primarily due to higher operating income.

Generally, no management bonuses can be paid unless the relevant business unit is profitable. Any operating losses must be offset in their entirety by operating profits before management is eligible for a bonus. Executive management, in limited circumstances, makes exceptions at the branch operating unit level. Since the most significant portion of management compensation comes from the incentive bonus programs, we believe that this cumulative feature is a disincentive to excessive risk taking by our managers. The outcome of any higher risk transactions, such as overriding established credit limits, would be known in a relatively short time frame. Management believes that when the potential and certain impact on the bonus is fully considered in light of the short operating cycle of our services, the potential for short-term gains that could be generated by engaging in risky business practices is sufficiently mitigated to discourage excessive and inappropriate risk taking. Management believes that both the stability and the long-term growth in revenues, operating income and net earnings are a result of the incentives inherent in our compensation programs.

Other overhead expenses increased 7% for the three months ended March 31, 2026, as compared with the same period in 2025. This increase is primarily due to technology related expenses, higher rent and occupancy expenses, and higher claims expense.

Income tax expense:

Our consolidated effective income tax rate was 24.9% for the three months ended March 31, 2026, as compared to 26.0% in the comparable period of 2025. The decrease was principally from favorable effects of changes in share-based compensation related permanent differences. All periods benefited from U.S. Federal tax credits principally because of withholding taxes related to our foreign operations as well as U.S. income tax benefits for deductions related to certain foreign-derived income (FDDEI). These benefits were offset by the effect of higher foreign tax rates of the Company's international subsidiaries, when compared to the U.S. Federal income tax rate of 21%.

Elements of enacted tax laws and regulations could be impacted by further legislative action as well as additional interpretations and guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service or the U.S. Department of the Treasury and by similar governmental bodies in jurisdictions outside of the U.S. Such changes could impact the estimates of the amounts the Company has recorded.

Our effective tax rate is subject to variation and the effective tax rate may be more or less volatile based on the amounts of pre-tax income. Total consolidated foreign income tax expense is composed of the income tax expense of our non-U.S. subsidiaries as well as income based withholding taxes paid by our non-U.S. subsidiaries on behalf of its parent for intercompany payments, including the remittance of dividends, some of which do not qualify for tax credits under U.S. income tax laws and regulations. The tax benefit associated with non-qualified stock option and restricted stock unit grants is recorded when the related compensation expense is recorded (excess tax benefits are recorded upon the exercise of non-qualified stock options and vesting of restricted stock units and performance share units), while the tax benefit received for employee stock purchase plan shares cannot be anticipated and are therefore recognized if and when a disqualifying disposition occurs.

Currency and Other Risk Factors

The nature of our worldwide operations necessitates transacting in a multitude of currencies other than the U.S. dollar. That exposes us to the inherent risks of volatile international currency markets and governmental interference. Some of the countries where we maintain offices and/or have agency relationships maintain strict currency control regulations that influence our ability to hedge foreign currency exposure. Historically, derivative financial instruments have not been used to manage foreign currency risk. In lieu of the use of foreign currency derivatives we instead try to compensate for these exposures by accelerating international currency settlements among our offices and agents. In the future, we may enter into foreign currency hedging transactions to manage our foreign currency risk. There are also regulatory or commercial limitations on our ability to move money freely, which could be impacted by inter-governmental disputes or new trade restrictions. We had no foreign currency derivatives outstanding at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025. For the three months ended March 31, 2026, net foreign currency transactional gains were approximately $2 million compared to net foreign currency losses of approximately $5 million in the same period in 2025. The net impact of foreign exchange rate fluctuation on the translation of our foreign operations, as included in other comprehensive income, was a loss of $12 million and an income of $13 million, net of taxes, in the three months ended March 31, 2026, and 2025, respectively.

Historically, our business has not been adversely affected by inflation. Beginning in 2021 and continuing through 2025, many countries including the United States experienced elevated levels of inflation. As a result, our business continues to experience rising labor costs, service provider rate increases, higher rent and occupancy and other expenses. Due to the high degree of competition in the marketplace we may not be able to increase our prices to our customers to offset this inflationary pressure, which could lead to an erosion in our margins and operating income in the future. Conversely, raising our prices to keep pace with inflationary pressure may result in a decrease in volume and customer demand for our services. As we are not required to purchase or maintain extensive property and equipment and have not otherwise incurred substantial interest rate-sensitive indebtedness, we currently have limited direct exposure to increased interest expense resulting from increases in interest rates.

There is uncertainty as to how supply and volatility in oil prices will continue to impact future buy rates and available airfreight capacity. Because fuel is an integral part of carriers' costs and impacts both our buy rates and sell rates, we expect our revenues and costs to be impacted as carriers adjust rates for the effect of changing fuel prices. To the extent that future fuel prices increase, and we are unable to pass through the increase to our customers, fuel price increases could adversely affect our operating income.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our principal source of liquidity is cash and cash equivalents and cash generated from operating activities. Net cash provided by operating activities for the three months ended March 31, 2026 was $309 million as compared with $343 million for the same period in 2025. The decrease of $34 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, was primarily due changes in working capital due to increase in revenue activity in the latter part of the quarter. At March 31, 2026, working capital was $1,611 million, including cash and cash equivalents of $1,316 million. Other than our recorded lease liabilities, we had no long-term obligations or debt at March 31, 2026. Management believes that our current cash position and operating cash flows will be sufficient to meet our capital and liquidity requirements for at least the next 12 months and thereafter for the foreseeable future, including meeting any contingent liabilities related to standby letters of credit and other obligations.

As a customs broker, we make significant short-term cash advances for a select group of our credit-worthy customers. These cash advances are for customer obligations such as the payment of duties and taxes to customs authorities in various countries throughout the world. Higher duty rates have resulted in increases in the amounts we advance on behalf of our customers. Given the short time frame until we are reimbursed, we do not expect these outlays to have a significant effect on our liquidity. Cash advances are a "pass through" and are not recorded as a component of revenue and expense, except for fees associated with this service charged to customers. The billings of such advances to customers are accounted for as a direct increase in accounts receivable from the customer and a corresponding increase in accounts payable to governmental customs authorities. As a result of these "pass through" billings, the conventional Days Sales Outstanding or DSO calculation does not directly measure collection efficiency.

For customers that meet certain criteria, we have agreed to extend payment terms beyond our customary terms. Management believes that it has established effective credit control procedures and historically has experienced relatively insignificant collection problems.

Our business historically has been subject to seasonal fluctuations, and this is expected to continue in the future. Cash flows fluctuate as a result of this seasonality. Historically, the first quarter shows an excess of customer collections over customer billings. This results in positive cash flow. The increased activity associated with periods of higher demand (typically commencing late second or early third quarter and continuing well into the fourth quarter) causes an excess of customer billings over customer collections. This cyclical growth in customer receivables consumes available cash. However, there is no assurance that this seasonal pattern will hold true in future periods.

Cash used in investing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2026 was $12 million as compared with $13 million for the same period in 2025, primarily for capital expenditures. Capital expenditures in the three months ended March 31, 2026 were primarily related to continuing investments in building and leasehold improvements and technology and facilities equipment. Total anticipated capital expenditures in 2026 are currently estimated to be approximately $80 million. This includes investments in technology infrastructure, leasehold and building improvements and routine capital expenditures.

Cash used in financing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2026 was $290 million as compared with $166 million for the same period in 2025. We have a Discretionary Stock Repurchase Plan under which management is allowed to repurchase shares to reduce the issued and outstanding stock to 130 million shares of common stock. A new repurchase program has been adopted as authorized by the Board of Directors in February 2026, as described in Part II, Item 2 of this report. We use the proceeds from stock option exercises, employee stock purchases and available cash to repurchase our common stock on the open market to reduce outstanding shares. During the three months ended March 31, 2026, we used cash to repurchase 2.0 million shares of common stock at an average price of $145.90 per share compared to 1.5 million shares of common stock at an average price of $117.29 during the same period in 2025.

We follow established guidelines relating to credit quality, diversification and maturities of our investments to preserve principal and maintain liquidity. Historically, our investment portfolio has not been adversely impacted by disruptions occurring in the credit markets. However, there can be no assurance that our investment portfolio will not be adversely affected in the future.

We cannot predict what further impact ongoing uncertainties in the global economy, inflation, future interest rates, and political conflicts and uncertainty, may have on our operating results, freight volumes, pricing, amounts advanced on behalf of our customers, changes in consumer demand, carrier stability and capacity, customers' abilities to pay or changes in competitors' behavior.

We maintain international unsecured bank lines of credit for short-term working capital purposes. A few of these credit lines are supported by standby letters of credit issued by a United States bank or guarantees issued by the Company to the foreign banks issuing the credit line. At March 31, 2026, borrowings under these credit lines were $33 million and we were contingently liable for $80 million from standby letters of credit and guarantees. The standby letters of credit and guarantees primarily relate to obligations of our foreign subsidiaries for credit extended in the ordinary course of business by direct carriers, primarily airlines, and for duty and tax deferrals available from governmental entities responsible for customs and value-added-tax (VAT) taxation. The total underlying amounts due and payable for transportation and governmental excises are properly recorded as obligations in the accounting records of the respective foreign subsidiaries, and there would be no need to record additional expense in the unlikely event the parent company is required to perform.

Our foreign subsidiaries regularly remit dividends to the U.S. parent company after evaluating their working capital requirements and funds necessary to finance local capital expenditures. In some cases, our ability to repatriate funds from foreign operations may be subject to foreign exchange controls or could be impacted by inter-governmental disputes or new trade restrictions. At March 31, 2026, cash and cash equivalent balances of $518 million were held by our non-United States subsidiaries, of which $1 million was held in banks in the United States. Earnings of our foreign subsidiaries are not considered to be indefinitely reinvested outside of the United States.

Expeditors International of Washington Inc. published this content on May 06, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via EDGAR on May 06, 2026 at 19:47 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]