Insider Selling: J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) COO Sells $613,584.86 in Stock

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) COO Nicholas Hobbs sold 3,038 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.97, for a total transaction of $613,584.86. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 90,318 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,241,526.46. The trade was a 3.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Down 1.9%

Shares of JBHT stock opened at $206.75 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $192.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $163.74. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a 52 week low of $122.79 and a 52 week high of $212.00. The stock has a market cap of $19.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.67, a PEG ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 15th. The transportation company reported $1.90 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.81 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.10 billion. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 16.33% and a net margin of 4.99%.The business’s quarterly revenue was down 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.53 earnings per share. Analysts predict that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 6.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. This is a positive change from J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 6th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s payout ratio is currently 28.66%.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Wednesday, October 22nd that permits the company to buyback $0.00 in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the transportation company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on JBHT shares. Barclays upped their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $150.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $158.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Raymond James Financial upped their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $169.00 to $187.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $200.05.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Cromwell Holdings LLC grew its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 52.2% in the 3rd quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 207 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA increased its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 57.8% in the second quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 202 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the period. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 41.5% during the third quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 225 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 52.8% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 220 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.95% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting J.B. Hunt Transport Services

Here are the key news stories impacting J.B. Hunt Transport Services this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board raised the quarterly dividend to $0.45 (2.3% increase), payable Feb. 20 with an ex-dividend/record date of Feb. 6 — reinforces cash return policy and signals confidence in cash flow. J. B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. Announces Increase to Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and coverage pushed the stock to a new 12‑month high after firms raised price targets and reiterated overweight/outperform views — supports further upside from improved sentiment. J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) Sets New 12-Month High on Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile bullish commentary (Jim Cramer) saying J.B. Hunt could “make a fortune” when freight turns around likely adds retail interest and momentum. Jim Cramer Says “When the Freight Market Turns Around, J.B.Hunt Should Be Able to Make a Fortune”
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage coverage is mixed-to-positive overall (consensus “Moderate Buy”); some firms raised targets substantially while others remain cautious — implies upside but not unanimous. MarketBeat JBHT Coverage Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple insiders sold stock this week: EVP Bradley W. Hicks sold 3,919 shares at ~$210; EVP Ronald Greer Woodruff sold 1,391 shares at ~$207; COO Nicholas Hobbs sold 3,038 shares at ~$201. Collective insider selling can be interpreted as a near-term negative signal, though insiders still retain sizable holdings. Bradley W. Hicks Insider Sale Filing SEC Filing (Hicks)
• Negative Sentiment: Additional insider sale filings: Ronald Greer Woodruff (SEC filing) and COO Nicholas Hobbs sold shares in separate transactions, reducing individual stakes by double-digit and low-single-digit percentages respectively — could add selling pressure. SEC Filing (Woodruff) COO Nicholas Hobbs Insider Sale

About J.B. Hunt Transport Services

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc is a leading provider of transportation and logistics solutions headquartered in Lowell, Arkansas. The company offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to move freight efficiently across North America, including intermodal, dedicated contract services, full truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), final mile delivery and specialized transport.

In its intermodal segment, J.B. Hunt leverages a network of rail and truck assets to transport containers and trailers on major U.S.