J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Key Points

• J.B. Hunt exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting adjusted EPS of $1.82 versus the $1.81 consensus estimate and revenue of $3.68 billion, ahead of the $3.59 billion forecast.
• The stock rose 1.4% to $235.31 following the results, though it remained below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. The company has a $22.10 billion market capitalization and a P/E ratio of 33.33.
• J.B. Hunt paid a quarterly dividend of $0.45 per share, equivalent to $1.80 annually and a 0.8% yield. Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $276.08.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The transportation company reported $1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.81 by $0.01, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $3.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.59 billion. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a net margin of 5.31% and a return on equity of 18.75%.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Up 1.4%

NASDAQ:JBHT traded up $3.15 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $235.31. 1,235,406 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,011,466. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $253.14 and a 200 day moving average price of $259.06. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a one year low of $157.82 and a one year high of $299.76. The company has a market cap of $22.10 billion, a PE ratio of 33.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.26 and a quick ratio of 1.26.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Friday, August 7th were given a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 7th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.50%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

JBHT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group dropped their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $291.00 to $264.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, September 17th. Zacks Research cut J.B. Hunt Transport Services from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "underweight" rating and issued a $200.00 price objective (up from $190.00) on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Stephens lifted their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $300.00 to $285.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $276.08.

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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