J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) Hits New 1-Year High on Better-Than-Expected Earnings

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock traded as high as $299.49 and last traded at $294.6170, with a volume of 215944 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $276.28.

The transportation company reported $1.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.71 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $3.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.26 billion. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 18.75% and a net margin of 5.31%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 19.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.31 earnings per share.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, May 8th were given a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 8th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s payout ratio is currently 27.86%.

More J.B. Hunt Transport Services News

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

• Positive Sentiment: JBHT was added to Zacks’ “Strong Buy” momentum list, signaling improving technical and fundamental momentum. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for July 17th
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised price targets after the earnings beat, including JPMorgan, Robert W. Baird, Barclays, Citigroup, and TD Cowen, reflecting confidence in the recovery and margin improvement.
• Positive Sentiment: Reports highlighted shrinking trucking capacity and a shift toward intermodal freight, which could support stronger pricing and volume trends for JBHT. J.B. Hunt Stock Could Reach $340 as Trucking Capacity Shrinks
• Positive Sentiment: JBHT was also featured on relative-strength and momentum screens, indicating that investors see it as one of the stronger names in a choppy market. 5 Top Stocks With Relative Price Strength to Buy Right Now
• Neutral Sentiment: One Zacks article cautioned that while earnings growth and estimate revisions support the rally, the stock’s premium valuation means investors should remain selective. Is JBHT Stock too Expensive or Still Attractive After Its Rally?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts’ consensus remains constructive, with coverage still centered around a “Moderate Buy” view.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $290.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Stephens upped their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Citizens Jmp started coverage on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Wednesday. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Argus set a $285.00 target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Monday, April 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $286.30.

Insider Activity

In other J.B. Hunt Transport Services news, insider Bradley W. Hicks sold 7,644 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.91, for a total transaction of $2,002,040.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 23,982 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,281,125.62. This represents a 24.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, COO Nicholas Hobbs sold 1,272 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.75, for a total transaction of $318,954.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 91,736 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,002,802. This represents a 1.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 18,119 shares of company stock worth $4,736,095. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 74.3% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,643 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,314,000 after acquiring an additional 6,668 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 3.3% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 433,661 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $64,160,000 after acquiring an additional 13,729 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 27.8% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 1,770 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $262,000 after acquiring an additional 385 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the second quarter worth about $539,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 21.0% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 583 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $84,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.95% of the company’s stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $274.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $238.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.28, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.29.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Company Profile

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.