JPMorgan Chase & Co. Issues Pessimistic Forecast for J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) Stock Price

Key Points

• JPMorgan lowered its J.B. Hunt price target from $287 to $283 while maintaining an “overweight” rating, implying approximately 25% upside from the prior close.
• J.B. Hunt’s third-quarter results slightly exceeded expectations, with revenue of $3.68 billion—up 20.4% year over year—and earnings of $1.82 per share versus the $1.81 consensus estimate.
• Despite strong revenue growth, rising operating expenses constrained profitability, while the stock fell to $226.05 and trades at a relatively high P/E ratio of about 32; analysts overall maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average target of $273.76.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) had its target price lowered by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $287.00 to $283.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "overweight" rating on the transportation company's stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s target price suggests a potential upside of 25.19% from the stock's previous close.

JBHT has been the subject of a number of other reports. Susquehanna reduced their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $345.00 to $305.00 and set a "positive" rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 2nd. BMO Capital Markets set a $315.00 price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Citizens Jmp restated a "market outperform" rating and issued a $300.00 target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Friday. Zacks Research lowered J.B. Hunt Transport Services from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $320.00 to $290.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, September 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, J.B. Hunt Transport Services presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $273.76.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Price Performance

NASDAQ JBHT traded down $9.26 on Friday, reaching $226.05. 749,513 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,012,768. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $252.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $259.27. 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 company has a market cap of $21.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.31. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a 12 month low of $157.82 and a 12 month high of $299.76.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 15th. The transportation company reported $1.82 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.81 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $3.68 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.59 billion. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 18.75% and a net margin of 5.31%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 20.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.76 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that J.B. Hunt Transport Services will post 7.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of J.B. Hunt Transport Services

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 500.0% in the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 150 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 250.0% in the first quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 217 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 17.9% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 250 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Westpac Banking Corp purchased a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the first quarter worth $102,000. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 17.5% in the first quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 570 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $121,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. 74.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More J.B. Hunt Transport Services News

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

• Positive Sentiment: J.B. Hunt reported third-quarter revenue of $3.68 billion, up 20.4% year over year and above the $3.59 billion analyst consensus. Earnings were $1.82 per share, slightly ahead of the $1.81 estimate and up from $1.76 a year earlier. J.B. Hunt earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Citizens JMP reaffirmed its “market outperform” rating and assigned a $300 price target, implying substantial upside from recent trading levels. Citizens JMP rating report
• Neutral Sentiment: The company generated $172.4 million in quarterly profit and maintained an 18.75% return on equity, but its valuation remains demanding after significant prior gains, with a reported price-to-earnings ratio above 32. J.B. Hunt Q3: Rising Costs Bite, Shares Fairly Valued
• Negative Sentiment: Operating expenses climbed to approximately $3.43 billion, causing profit growth to trail the sharp increase in revenue. The resulting 5.31% net margin raised concerns that higher costs are limiting the benefit of the company’s top-line momentum. J.B. Hunt Reports Higher Profit, Steeper Operating Expenses
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms announced investigations into potential securities claims involving J.B. Hunt. These announcements do not establish wrongdoing, but they add headline and potential legal risk for shareholders. Rosen investor investigation

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Company Profile

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc is a transportation and logistics company headquartered in Lowell, Arkansas. Founded in 1961 by Johnnie Bryan Hunt and Johnelle Hunt, the company has grown from a small trucking operation into a major provider of freight transportation and supply-chain services across North America.

The company's primary business activities include intermodal transportation, which combines rail and truck services; dedicated contract services, which provides customized fleet and delivery operations for individual customers; and integrated capacity solutions, including freight brokerage and third-party logistics.

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