C.H. Robinson agrees to acquire RXO in multibillion-dollar cash-and-stock deal

C.H. Robinson Worldwide agreed to acquire freight brokerage RXO in a cash-and-stock transaction that values RXO at $30.25 per share, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal, FreightWaves and other market outlets. The deal would combine two major transportation brokerage networks and expand C.H. Robinson’s reach across truck brokerage, managed transportation and last-mile services.

Under the announced terms, RXO shareholders are set to receive $17.25 in cash plus 0.0856 shares of C.H. Robinson for each RXO share. The package represented a substantial premium to RXO’s previous closing price when the agreement was announced. RXO shares jumped sharply after the news, while C.H. Robinson shares fell, reflecting contrasting investor reactions to the acquisition economics.

The Wall Street Journal reported an overall transaction value of roughly $5.3 billion, while other reports cited figures near $5.8 billion depending on the valuation measure used. The companies expect RXO shareholders to own about 11% of the combined business after completion.

C.H. Robinson expects the transaction to generate approximately $300 million in annual net cost synergies within two years of closing. The company also plans to use new debt to finance the cash portion of the transaction and has indicated that share repurchases will be suspended while leverage is brought back toward its target.

The companies expect the deal to close in the first half of 2027, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions. Given C.H. Robinson’s scale in North American freight brokerage, investors are likely to monitor the antitrust review as well as management’s ability to integrate RXO without disrupting customer relationships or service levels.

For the US 500, C.H. Robinson is an index constituent, so a double-digit move in its shares has a direct, if modest, effect on the benchmark. The transaction also offers a read-through on corporate confidence in logistics demand and the willingness of large public companies to pursue sizable acquisitions despite elevated borrowing costs.