XPO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: XPO) today announced financial results for the second quarter 2018. Revenue increased 16.0% year-over-year to $4.36 billion. Net income attributable to common shareholders was $137.5 million for the quarter, compared with net income attributable to common shareholders of $47.6 million for the same period in 2017. Earnings per diluted share was $1.03 for the quarter, compared with $0.38 for the same period in 2017.

Adjusted net income attributable to common shareholders, a non-GAAP financial measure, was $131.8 million for the quarter, compared with $75.0 million for the same period in 2017. Adjusted earnings per diluted share, a non-GAAP financial measure, was $0.98 for the quarter, compared with $0.60 for the same period in 2017. Adjusted net income attributable to common shareholders and adjusted earnings per diluted share for the second quarter 2018 exclude: a $15.7 million benefit, or $11.5 million after-tax, of non-cash unrealized gains on foreign currency contracts; and $7.8 million, or $5.8 million after-tax, of integration and rebranding costs. Reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures used in this release are provided in the attached financial tables.
Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("adjusted EBITDA"), a non-GAAP financial measure, increased to $436.7 million for the second quarter 2018, excluding integration and rebranding costs of $7.8 million. This compared with $370.8 million of adjusted EBITDA for the same period in 2017.
For the second quarter 2018, the company generated $267.4 million of cash flow from operations and $192.9 million of free cash flow.  
Reaffirms Financial Targets
The company reaffirmed its full year 2018 target for adjusted EBITDA of at least $1.6 billion, and 2017–2018 target for cumulative free cash flow of approximately $1 billion.
CEO Comments  
Bradley Jacobs, chairman and chief executive officer of XPO Logistics, said, “Our strong second quarter performance was highlighted by record results for revenue, net income, adjusted EBITDA, cash flow from operations and free cash flow. We grew profitability faster than revenue, with a 178% increase in net income and an 18% increase in adjusted EBITDA on organic revenue growth of 11%.
“In logistics, we implemented a record 37 customer start-ups in three months — and once again, the big driver was e-commerce. In transportation, we increased freight brokerage net revenue by 46% with a lower headcount. North American last mile and European transport were also standouts. In our North American less-than-truckload business, we achieved the best adjusted operating ratio in 30 years at 84.3%.”
Jacobs continued, “Our expanded sales force signed $2.1 billion of new business this year through June. We have innovations underway in every corner of the company. They include the ramp-up of our XPO Direct distribution network, the build-out of our digital freight marketplace, the expansion of our last mile footprint, and the deployment of dynamic analytics for workforce planning. These are secular growth drivers that create sustainable value for our customers and shareholders.”
Second Quarter 2018 Results by Segment
• Transportation: The company's transportation segment generated revenue of $2.89 billion for the quarter, a 14.5% increase from the same period in 2017. Segment revenue growth was led by increases in freight brokerage and last mile in North America, as well as dedicated truckload transportation in the UK and France. A revenue benefit of 2.2% came from favorable foreign exchange rates.
• Operating income for the transportation segment increased to $205.4 million in the quarter, compared with $165.0 million for the same period in 2017. Adjusted EBITDA for the segment improved to $335.1 million, an increase of 13.7% from a year ago. The increases in operating income and adjusted EBITDA primarily were due to revenue growth and were broad-based across the segment, led by improved profitability in freight brokerage and last mile in North America, and dedicated truckload and less-than-truckload in Europe. Within the North American less-than-truckload unit, the operating ratio was 85.9%. The adjusted operating ratio was 84.3%, an improvement from 84.6% for the same period in 2017.
• Logistics: The company's logistics segment generated revenue of $1.51 billion for the quarter, a 19.1% increase from the same period in 2017. Segment revenue growth was led by growing demand for e-commerce logistics globally, as well as by the consumer packaged goods and technology sectors in North America and the fashion sector in Europe. A revenue benefit of 4.7% came from favorable foreign exchange rates
• Operating income for the logistics segment increased to $67.3 million, compared with $49.4 million for the same period in 2017. Adjusted EBITDA for the segment improved to $134.0 million, an increase of 20.6% from a year ago. The increases in operating income and adjusted EBITDA primarily were due to revenue growth and site productivity improvements, partially offset by higher direct operating costs related to a record number of quarterly contract startups: 19 in North America and 18 in Europe.
• Corporate: Corporate operating expense was $44.7 million for the quarter, compared with $39.3 million for the same period in 2017. The increase in corporate expense primarily reflects an increase in share-based compensation expense tied to the increase in the share price of XPO stock.
Six Months 2018 Financial Results
For the six months ended June 30, 2018, the company reported total revenue of $8.56 billion, a 17.2% increase from the same period in 2017. Net income attributable to common shareholders was $204.4 million for the first six months of 2018, compared with $67.1 million for the same period in 2017. Earnings per diluted share was $1.53 for the first six months of 2018, compared with $0.54 for the same period in 2017.
Adjusted net income attributable to common shareholders, a non-GAAP measure, was $212.7 million for the first six months of 2018, compared with $112.6 million for the same period in 2017. Adjusted earnings per diluted share, a non-GAAP financial measure, was $1.59 for the first six months of 2018, compared with $0.90 for the same period in 2017. Adjusted net income attributable to common shareholders and adjusted earnings per diluted share for the first six months of 2018 exclude $15.0 million, or $11.0 million after-tax, of integration and rebranding costs; a benefit of $12.2 million, or $9.0 million after-tax, from non-cash unrealized gains on foreign currency contracts; and $10.3 million, or $7.5 million after-tax, of debt extinguishment costs related to the refinancing of an existing term loan.
Adjusted EBITDA for the first six months of 2018, a non-GAAP measure, improved to $766.9 million, compared with $660.8 million for the same period in 2017. Adjusted EBITDA for the first six months of 2018 excludes $15.0 million of integration and rebranding costs.