Kettle Hill Capital Management LLC Invests $2.29 Million in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. $JBHT

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 bought a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 15,470 shares of the transportation company's stock, valued at approximately $2,289,000.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 6.7% in the 1st quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 465,147 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $68,818,000 after purchasing an additional 29,169 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 8.4% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 351,850 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $51,638,000 after purchasing an additional 27,211 shares in the last quarter. Amundi increased its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 3.1% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 519,275 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $70,741,000 after buying an additional 15,504 shares during the period. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. increased its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 118.4% in the first quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 162,500 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $24,042,000 after purchasing an additional 88,100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec grew its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 5.3% during the first quarter. Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec now owns 9,060 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,340,000 after acquiring an additional 453 shares during the last quarter. 74.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at J.B. Hunt Transport Services

In other J.B. Hunt Transport Services news, EVP Eric Mcgee bought 1,148 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 4th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $140.76 per share, for a total transaction of $161,592.48. Following the completion of the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 7,397 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,041,201.72. This trade represents a 18.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP David Keefauver sold 989 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 completion of 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 ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Down 1.4%

NASDAQ JBHT traded down $1.99 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $141.00. 694,366 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,123,145. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a twelve month low of $122.79 and a twelve month high of $200.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.28. The business's 50-day moving average is $146.67 and its 200-day moving average is $144.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.87.

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 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.34 by ($0.03). J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a net margin of 4.59% and a return on equity of 14.26%. The business had revenue of $2.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.93 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.32 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 6.37 earnings per share for the current year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 8th were issued a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 8th. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's dividend payout ratio is presently 32.00%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on JBHT shares. Baird R W raised J.B. Hunt Transport Services to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 1st. Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Tuesday, July 1st. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $169.00 price objective on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $150.00 to $145.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $170.00 price target (down from $175.00) on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, Susquehanna upped their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $155.00 to $157.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, J.B. Hunt Transport Services has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $165.00.

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.