Fifth Third Bancorp Acquires 12,286 Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. $JBHT

Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) by 282.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 16,636 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 12,286 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp’s holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services were worth $3,525,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the second quarter worth about $31,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Whittier Trust Co. raised its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 39.1% in the 4th quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 178 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 34.3% in the 4th quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 188 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.95% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on JBHT. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Thursday. Bank of America lifted their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $278.00 to $309.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $265.00 to $297.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Raymond James Financial increased their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $299.00 to $315.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, J.B. Hunt Transport Services currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $286.30.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Price Performance

JBHT opened at $291.41 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a 12 month low of $130.12 and a 12 month high of $299.76. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $274.31 and a 200 day simple moving average of $238.54. The stock has a market cap of $27.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.28, a P/E/G ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.29.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The transportation company reported $1.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.71 by $0.20. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 18.75% and a net margin of 5.31%.The firm had revenue of $3.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.26 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.31 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 19.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 7.6 EPS for the current year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 8th were issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 8th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s payout ratio is 25.50%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Darren P. Field sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $254.49, for a total transaction of $1,017,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 8,696 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,213,045.04. This represents a 31.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed 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 sale, the chief operating officer owned 91,736 shares in the company, valued at $23,002,802. This trade represents a 1.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 18,119 shares of company stock worth $4,736,095 in the last three months. 2.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services News Summary

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.

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.