J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. $JBHT Shares Purchased 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. grew its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) by 118.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. 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 & Exchange Commission.

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

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Price Performance

Shares of JBHT traded down $0.74 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $142.99. 1,445,298 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,125,666. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $146.69 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $144.20. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $122.79 and a 52-week high of $200.40. The company has a market cap of $13.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.00, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.28.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 15th. The transportation company reported $1.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $2.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.93 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.32 EPS. The firm's revenue was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 6.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have issued reports on JBHT shares. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $166.00 to $171.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $159.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. Susquehanna upped their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $155.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $163.00 price objective (up previously from $150.00) on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upped their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $165.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other J.B. Hunt Transport Services news, EVP Eric Mcgee bought 1,148 shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 4th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $140.76 per share, for a total transaction 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. The trade was a 18.37% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP David Keefauver sold 989 shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 946 shares in the company, 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 company insiders.

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.