15,470 Shares in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. $JBHT Purchased by Kettle Hill Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Kettle Hill Capital Management LLC bought 15,470 shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, valued at approximately $2,289,000, indicating growing institutional interest in the company.
• Several analysts have recently adjusted their price targets for J.B. Hunt, with an average price target now set at $164.90, reflecting optimism despite some downward adjustments from firms like Citigroup and Morgan Stanley.
• J.B. Hunt announced a quarterly dividend of $0.44 per share, maintaining a dividend yield of 1.2%, showcasing a commitment to returning value to shareholders.

Kettle Hill Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 15,470 shares of the transportation company's stock, valued at approximately $2,289,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 10,048,462 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,486,670,000 after buying an additional 195,873 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 14.6% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,853,092 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $718,015,000 after buying an additional 616,986 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 3,390,200 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $578,572,000 after buying an additional 15,476 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 11.5% during the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,408,057 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $208,322,000 after purchasing an additional 144,666 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. lifted its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 1,319,637 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $225,209,000 after purchasing an additional 8,725 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.95% of the company's stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Performance

Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock traded down $4.92 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $136.08. 408,320 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,118,616. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a 1 year low of $122.79 and a 1 year high of $200.40. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The business has a 50-day moving average of $146.47 and a 200-day moving average of $144.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.28.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 15th. The transportation company reported $1.31 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.34 by ($0.03). J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 14.26% and a net margin of 4.59%.The company had revenue of $2.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.93 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.32 EPS. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's revenue for the quarter was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 6.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 8th were paid a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 8th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's dividend payout ratio is 32.00%.

Insider Activity at J.B. Hunt Transport Services

In related news, EVP Eric Mcgee purchased 1,148 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 4th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $140.76 per share, for a total transaction of $161,592.48. Following the completion of the purchase, the executive vice president directly owned 7,397 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,041,201.72. This trade represents a 18.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Keefauver sold 989 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.97, for a total value of $150,298.33. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 946 shares of the company's stock, valued at $143,763.62. This trade represents a 51.11% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

JBHT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $160.00 to $155.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 7th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "overweight" rating and set a $163.00 target price (up previously from $150.00) on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. Raymond James Financial boosted their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Barclays boosted their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, UBS Group cut J.B. Hunt Transport Services from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $155.00 to $157.00 in a research note on Friday, September 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $165.00.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Company Profile

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.