Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Grows Stock Holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. $JBHT

Key Points

• Assenagon Asset Management S.A. significantly increased its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 222.1% in the second quarter, holding a total of 21,914 shares worth approximately $3.15 million.
• J.B. Hunt reported $1.31 earnings per share for the last quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates, while also declaring a quarterly dividend of $0.44 per share, reflecting a 1.3% dividend yield.
• Analysts maintain a positive outlook on J.B. Hunt, with an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a price target of $163.57, despite some recent downward adjustments from various financial institutions.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) by 222.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 21,914 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 15,111 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.'s holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services were worth $3,147,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:JBHT opened at $132.87 on Thursday. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a one year low of $122.79 and a one year high of $200.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.87. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $142.78 and a 200-day simple moving average of $142.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.16, a PEG ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 1.28.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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 firm earned $1.32 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 6.37 EPS for the current year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Dividend Announcement

The company 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 8th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's payout ratio is 32.00%.

Insider Transactions at J.B. Hunt Transport Services

In other news, EVP Eric Mcgee purchased 1,148 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 4th. The shares were acquired at an average cost 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 in the company, valued at $1,041,201.72. The trade was a 18.37% increase in their position. The transaction 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 business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.97, for a total transaction of $150,298.33. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 946 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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. Insiders own 2.30% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

JBHT has been the subject of a number of research reports. UBS Group cut shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and boosted their price target for the company from $155.00 to $157.00 in a research report on Friday, September 5th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $160.00 to $155.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $164.00 price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $170.00 target price (down from $175.00) on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report 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 equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, J.B. Hunt Transport Services currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $163.57.

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.

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