J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. $JBHT Shares Bought by Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C.

Key Points

• Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. increased its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 118.4%, owning 162,500 shares valued at approximately $24.04 million as of its latest SEC filing.
• Analyst ratings for J.B. Hunt are predominantly positive, with one Strong Buy, eleven Buy ratings, and a price target average of $164.90.
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.44 per share, representing a 1.2% yield and with a payout ratio of 32%.

Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. boosted its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) by 118.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 162,500 shares of the transportation company's stock after acquiring an additional 88,100 shares during the period. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. owned about 0.16% of J.B. Hunt Transport Services worth $24,042,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of JBHT. Summit Securities Group LLC raised its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 19,600.0% in the 1st quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC now owns 197 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 196 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 167.0% in the 1st quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 235 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 147 shares during the period. National Pension Service increased its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 74.9% in the 1st quarter. National Pension Service now owns 306 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 131 shares during the period. TD Private Client Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 49.3% during the 1st quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 330 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 34.3% during the 1st quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 482 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $71,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. 74.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on JBHT shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $159.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $160.00 to $155.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 7th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $170.00 target price (down previously from $175.00) on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $164.00 target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $165.00.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Down 3.0%

Shares of JBHT stock traded down $4.18 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $136.82. 154,213 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,117,274. The business's fifty day moving average is $146.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is $144.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.87. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a 12-month low of $122.79 and a 12-month high of $200.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.90, 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 announced 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). The company had revenue of $2.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.93 billion. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a net margin of 4.59% and a return on equity of 14.26%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.32 earnings per share. As a group, research 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. Investors of record on Friday, August 8th were issued a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 8th. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at J.B. Hunt Transport Services

In related news, EVP David Keefauver sold 989 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.97, for a total transaction of $150,298.33. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Eric Mcgee bought 1,148 shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock in a transaction on Monday, August 4th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $140.76 per share, with a total value of $161,592.48. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 7,397 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,041,201.72. This trade represents a 18.37% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 2.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.