Insider Selling: J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) Insider Sells $823,499.47 in Stock

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) insider Bradley Hicks sold 3,919 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $210.13, for a total transaction of $823,499.47. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 26,580 shares in the company, valued at $5,585,255.40. The trade was a 12.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Performance

Shares of JBHT stock opened at $206.75 on Monday. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a 52 week low of $122.79 and a 52 week high of $212.00. The company has a market capitalization of $19.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.67, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $192.24 and a 200 day simple moving average of $163.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.83.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.81 by $0.09. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a net margin of 4.99% and a return on equity of 16.33%. The firm had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.10 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.53 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 6.37 earnings per share for the current year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services announced that its board has initiated a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, October 22nd that permits the company to repurchase $0.00 in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the transportation company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on JBHT shares. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Friday, January 16th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $150.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of 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. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $174.00 to $196.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $200.05.

More J.B. Hunt Transport Services News

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

Institutional Trading of J.B. Hunt Transport Services

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in JBHT. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 4.5% in the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,508 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $202,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 41.5% in the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 225 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC increased its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Certuity LLC raised its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 5.0% during the 3rd quarter. Certuity LLC now owns 1,512 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $203,000 after buying an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA lifted its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 57.8% during the 2nd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 202 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.95% of the company’s stock.

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.