ArcBest Corp (ARCB)

Pretax margin

		Dec 31, 2024	Dec 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2022	Dec 31, 2021	Dec 31, 2020
Earnings before tax but after interest (EBT)	US$ in thousands	219,314	240,184	393,155	277,154	92,496
Revenue	US$ in thousands	4,183,830	4,422,890	5,336,500	3,996,140	2,942,940
Pretax margin		5.24%	5.43%	7.37%	6.94%	3.14%

December 31, 2024 calculation

Pretax margin = EBT ÷ Revenue
= $219,314K ÷ $4,183,830K
= 5.24%

The pretax margin of ArcBest Corp has exhibited a fluctuating trend over the years based on the provided data. It stood at 3.14% as of December 31, 2020, indicating a relatively low profitability before accounting for taxes. However, there was a notable improvement in the pretax margin to 6.94% by December 31, 2021, reflecting a significant increase in profitability.

Subsequently, the pretax margin continued to rise to 7.37% as of December 31, 2022, reaching its highest point in the given period. This suggests that the company was able to effectively manage its expenses and generate higher operating profits during this period.

However, there was a slight decline in the pretax margin to 5.43% by December 31, 2023, followed by a further decrease to 5.24% by December 31, 2024. Despite these declines, ArcBest Corp has generally maintained a positive pretax margin throughout the years, indicating its ability to generate profits before accounting for taxes, albeit with some fluctuations.

Overall, the trend in the pretax margin demonstrates both improvements and fluctuations in ArcBest Corp's profitability over the years, highlighting the importance of monitoring and managing expenses to sustain and enhance financial performance.