ARCB vs. PLPC

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

ARCB (ArcBest Corporation) and PLPC (Preformed Line Products Company) are both stocks. Both are in the Industrials sector — ARCB in Trucking, PLPC in Electrical Equipment & Parts. Over the past 10 years, ARCB returned 24.49%/yr vs 25.67%/yr for PLPC. At a 0.24 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

ARCB vs. PLPC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in ArcBest Corporation (ARCB) and Preformed Line Products Company (PLPC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ARCB achieves a 91.98% return, which is significantly higher than PLPC's 83.26% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with ARCB having a 24.49% annualized return and PLPC not far ahead at 25.67%.

ARCB

• 1D: 0.20%
• 1M: 22.94%
• YTD: 91.98%
• 6M: 107.56%
• 1Y: 122.21%
• 3Y*: 18.28%
• 5Y*: 15.85%
• 10Y*: 24.49%

PLPC

• 1D: -2.47%
• 1M: 22.08%
• YTD: 83.26%
• 6M: 76.73%
• 1Y: 169.97%
• 3Y*: 36.16%
• 5Y*: 38.79%
• 10Y*: 25.67%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ARCB vs. PLPC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ARCB ArcBest Corporation	91.98%	-19.96%	-22.05%	72.43%	-41.25%	182.09%	56.54%	-18.60%	-3.44%	30.95%
PLPC Preformed Line Products Company	83.26%	62.61%	-3.93%	61.77%	29.93%	-4.34%	15.14%	12.87%	-22.73%	23.98%

Correlation

The correlation between ARCB and PLPC is 0.35, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.35
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.34
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.32
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.31
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 29, 1999	0.24

The correlation between ARCB and PLPC shifts across timeframes, from 0.24 (all time) to 0.35 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap ARCB : $3.17B PLPC : $1.86B
EPS ARCB : $2.46 PLPC : $6.94
PE Ratio ARCB : 57.83 PLPC : 54.52
PS Ratio ARCB : 0.80 PLPC : 2.68
PB Ratio ARCB : 2.47 PLPC : 3.93
Total Revenue (TTM) ARCB : $4.04B PLPC : $697.08M
Gross Profit (TTM) ARCB : $165.40M PLPC : $215.09M
EBITDA (TTM) ARCB : $221.85M PLPC : $62.69M

Return for Risk

ARCB vs. PLPC — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

ARCB

ARCB Risk / Return Rank: 88
ARCB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 92
ARCB Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
ARCB Omega Ratio Rank: 86
ARCB Calmar Ratio Rank: 87
ARCB Martin Ratio Rank: 86

PLPC

PLPC Risk / Return Rank: 94
PLPC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 96
PLPC Sortino Ratio Rank: 93
PLPC Omega Ratio Rank: 91
PLPC Calmar Ratio Rank: 96
PLPC Martin Ratio Rank: 96

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

ARCB vs. PLPC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ArcBest Corporation (ARCB) and Preformed Line Products Company (PLPC). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	ARCB	PLPC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.58	3.45	-0.87
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.96	3.74	-0.77
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.38	1.46	-0.08
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.02	7.66	-3.64
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.42	23.10	-13.67
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ARCB vs. PLPC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ARCB Sharpe Ratio is 2.58, which is comparable to the PLPC Sharpe Ratio of 3.45. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ARCB and PLPC, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ARCB	PLPC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.58	3.45	-0.87
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.32	0.89	-0.57
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.49	0.58	-0.09
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.16	0.31	-0.15

Drawdowns

ARCB vs. PLPC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ARCB drawdown since its inception was -85.88%, which is greater than PLPC's maximum drawdown of -66.36%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ARCB and PLPC.

Drawdown Indicators

	ARCB	PLPC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-85.88%	-66.36%	-19.52%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-30.60%	-22.33%	-8.27%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-62.45%	-39.35%	-23.10%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-62.45%	-39.35%	-23.10%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-67.85%	-59.49%	-8.36%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.20%	-2.47%	-2.73%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-33.12%	-24.84%	-8.28%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	13.02%	7.39%	+5.63%

Volatility

ARCB vs. PLPC - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for ArcBest Corporation (ARCB) is 12.56%, while Preformed Line Products Company (PLPC) has a volatility of 19.47%. This indicates that ARCB experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than PLPC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ARCB	PLPC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	12.56%	19.47%	-6.91%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	33.89%	38.38%	-4.49%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	47.77%	49.58%	-1.81%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	49.93%	44.01%	+5.92%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	49.66%	44.22%	+5.44%

Dividends

ARCB vs. PLPC - Dividend Comparison

ARCB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.34%, more than PLPC's 0.22% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ARCB ArcBest Corporation	0.34%	0.65%	0.51%	0.40%	0.63%	0.27%	0.75%	1.16%	0.93%	0.90%	1.16%	1.22%
PLPC Preformed Line Products Company	0.22%	0.39%	0.63%	0.60%	0.72%	1.24%	1.17%	1.33%	1.47%	1.13%	1.38%	1.90%

Financials

ARCB vs. PLPC - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between ArcBest Corporation and Preformed Line Products Company over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

ARCB - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ArcBest Corporation reported a gross profit of 3.43M and revenue of 998.79M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.3%.

PLPC - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Preformed Line Products Company reported a gross profit of 55.22M and revenue of 176.28M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 31.3%.

ARCB - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ArcBest Corporation reported an operating income of 3.43M and revenue of 998.79M, resulting in an operating margin of 0.3%.

PLPC - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Preformed Line Products Company reported an operating income of 13.72M and revenue of 176.28M, resulting in an operating margin of 7.8%.

ARCB - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, ArcBest Corporation reported a net income of -1.04M and revenue of 998.79M, resulting in a net margin of -0.1%.

PLPC - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Preformed Line Products Company reported a net income of 10.52M and revenue of 176.28M, resulting in a net margin of 6.0%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ARCB and PLPC in my portfolio?

ARCB and PLPC have a correlation of 0.35, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, ARCB or PLPC?

PLPC has higher volatility (19.47%) compared to ARCB (12.56%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ARCB dropped -85.88% vs PLPC's -66.36%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

PLPC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.45 vs 2.58), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.