Rush Enterprises earnings rose in the third quarter of 2026 as higher truck deliveries and aftermarket activity helped lift revenue. The commercial vehicle dealer also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.14 per share.

Key Takeaways

  • Third-quarter revenue rose 12.4% to $2.113 billion, while net income increased to $78.0 million.
  • The dividend is payable December 10 to Class A and Class B shareholders of record on November 11.
  • Management expects a strong delivery backlog to support sales into early 2027, but says new orders have slowed.

Rush Enterprises earnings and truck sales

For the quarter ended September 30, revenue increased from $1.881 billion a year earlier, while net income rose from $66.7 million. Diluted earnings per share were $0.65, compared with $0.55.

Chairman and CEO W.M. “Rusty” Rush attributed the growth primarily to increased new truck deliveries and aftermarket activity. The company sold 3,880 new Class 8 trucks in the United States, up 24.4% from a year earlier. Industry-wide U.S. Class 8 retail sales rose 10.2%, according to ACT Research.

Parts, service and collision center revenue rose 5.8% to $679.9 million. Aftermarket products and services represented approximately 62.8% of the company’s total gross profit.

Dividend and business expansion

The board declared the $0.14-per-share cash dividend for both classes of common stock. During the quarter, the company also repurchased $10.3 million of shares and paid $16.4 million in dividends.

Per-share figures in the earnings release were restated to reflect the three-for-two stock split distributed on August 31, 2026.

Rush completed a 50%-owned joint venture with MCT Companies during the quarter, entering the refrigerated transportation sector. The venture operates 17 full-service dealerships and three mobile service locations across six states.

Backlog supports outlook, but orders slow

Rush said the company’s backlog suggests strong new commercial vehicle sales in the fourth quarter and first quarter of 2027, although supply constraints could affect delivery timing.

He also said quoting and new order activity had slowed as the industry awaits final Environmental Protection Agency rules for 2027 emissions. Management expects aftermarket demand to improve gradually through the rest of 2026, subject to normal seasonal patterns.

Next milestone

Rush Enterprises is scheduled to discuss the results on a conference call on October 28, 2026.

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