Shares of Wabash National Corporation (WNC) soared 5.18% in the intraday trading session on Wednesday, as the company reported a narrower-than-expected loss for the fourth quarter of 2024 and provided an optimistic outlook for 2025, driven by an improving demand environment.

The Lafayette, Indiana-based truck trailer and truck body manufacturer reported a net loss of $1 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2024. While this marked a significant improvement over the previous year's loss, the company's full-year results were impacted by a $450 million charge related to a Missouri legal matter, resulting in a net loss of $284.1 million, or $6.40 per diluted share, for the full year 2024.

Excluding the one-time charge, Wabash National's adjusted net income for the year stood at $54.7 million, or $1.22 per diluted share, reflecting the company's resilience and ability to navigate through challenging market conditions. The company's revenue for the full year 2024 totaled $1.95 billion, driven by strong performance in its Truck Bodies and Parts & Services segments.

Looking ahead, Wabash National provided an encouraging outlook for 2025, forecasting revenue in the range of $1.9 billion to $2.1 billion, with earnings per diluted share expected to fall between $0.85 and $1.05. This guidance reflects the company's confidence in its ability to capitalize on improving demand conditions, as evidenced by a sequential increase in its total backlog to $1.2 billion as of December 31, 2024.

"While our backlog grew sequentially in the fourth quarter, we expect customer orders to be more evenly distributed throughout the year compared to typical seasonal patterns," said Brent Yeagy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wabash National. "Overall, we see 2025 as a transitional year, paving the way for improving market conditions as well as providing opportunity for continued advancement on our journey to increase value for customers leveraging all facets of our expanding portfolio and ecosystem."