Centiva Capital LP Decreases Stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT)

Centiva Capital LP cut its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) by 70.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,294 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 5,442 shares during the period. Centiva Capital LP's holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services were worth $391,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. National Pension Service bought a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. BankPlus Trust Department purchased a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 68.7% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 329 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 33.9% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 340 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares during the period. Finally, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 140.4% in the 4th quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 363 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $62,000 after acquiring an additional 212 shares during the last quarter. 74.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Darren P. Field sold 1,200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.67, for a total value of $194,004.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 17,822 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,881,282.74. This trade represents a 6.31% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, COO Nicholas Hobbs acquired 1,529 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 23rd. The shares were bought at an average price of $130.75 per share, with a total value of $199,916.75. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief operating officer now directly owns 91,847 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,008,995.25. This trade represents a 1.69% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 2.30% of the company's stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Down 0.0%

JBHT stock traded down $0.03 during trading on Thursday, reaching $147.86. 730,687 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 981,680. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $139.89 and a 200 day simple moving average of $163.43. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a 12 month low of $122.79 and a 12 month high of $200.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.03. The company has a market capitalization of $14.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.33.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 15th. The transportation company reported $1.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.15 by $0.02. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a net margin of 4.72% and a return on equity of 14.05%. The business had revenue of $2.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.92 billion. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 6.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be issued a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.19%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 9th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's dividend payout ratio is currently 31.94%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently weighed in on JBHT shares. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $188.00 to $166.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $167.00 to $150.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $148.00 price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Susquehanna set a $140.00 target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Finally, Benchmark reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $175.00 price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $162.20.

About J.B. Hunt Transport Services

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc provides surface transportation, delivery, and logistic services in the United States. It operates through five segments: Intermodal (JBI), Dedicated Contract Services (DCS), Integrated Capacity Solutions (ICS), Final Mile Services (FMS), and Truckload (JBT). The JBI segment offers intermodal freight solutions.