Baird Financial Group Inc. Reduces Holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. $JBHT

Key Points

• Baird Financial Group cut its J.B. Hunt position by 81.4% in the second quarter, selling 13,748 shares and retaining 3,149 shares worth approximately $911,000. Institutional investors collectively own about 74.95% of the company.
• J.B. Hunt reported quarterly EPS of $1.91, beating estimates of $1.71, while revenue rose 19.4% year over year to $3.50 billion. The company also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.45 per share, for an annualized yield of about 0.8%.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive but mixed, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $284.17. Analysts cited potential long-term benefits from tighter trucking capacity, while warning that labor, fuel and insurance costs could pressure future earnings.

Baird Financial Group Inc. lowered its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) by 81.4% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,149 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 13,748 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services were worth $911,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the 2nd quarter worth $1,833,602,000. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the second quarter valued at about $891,349,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the fourth quarter valued at about $200,587,000. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC purchased a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the second quarter worth about $287,581,000. Finally, Park Presidio Capital LLC purchased a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the second quarter worth about $218,096,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.95% of the company's stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Performance

NASDAQ:JBHT opened at $234.25 on Friday. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a 52 week low of $130.12 and a 52 week high of $299.76. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $272.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $256.39. The company has a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The company has a market cap of $22.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.29.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The transportation company reported $1.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.71 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $3.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.26 billion. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 18.75% and a net margin of 5.31%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 19.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.31 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 7.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Friday, August 7th were paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 7th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's dividend payout ratio is presently 25.50%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on JBHT. Wall Street Zen raised shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, September 13th. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $320.00 to $290.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Susquehanna set a $345.00 price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $261.00 price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Zacks Research cut J.B. Hunt Transport Services from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, September 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $284.17.

More J.B. Hunt Transport Services News

Here are the key news stories impacting J.B. Hunt Transport Services this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts still see long-term upside. Raymond James and Baird maintained “outperform” ratings despite reducing their price targets to $300 and $290, respectively, while Citizens JMP upgraded JBHT to “outperform” with a $300 target. J.B. Hunt’s Stock Plunges After Market Misprices Profit Warning
• Positive Sentiment: The bullish case rests on a structural shortage of qualified truck drivers, expected retirements and tighter industry capacity. These factors could eventually support higher freight rates, market-share gains and improved profitability if demand strengthens and pricing catches up with costs. J.B. Hunt’s Stock Plunges After Market Misprices Profit Warning
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinion remains mixed. Wells Fargo lowered its expectations, and other firms trimmed targets, but the broader consensus remains around Moderate Buy. The average of recently revised targets is approximately $288.50, indicating analysts view the selloff as potentially excessive while acknowledging near-term execution risk. Wells Fargo Lowers Expectations for J.B. Hunt
• Negative Sentiment: The earnings warning is the primary pressure on JBHT. Investors are concerned that labor, fuel and insurance-related costs will erode profit even as freight demand improves, raising the risk of additional earnings-estimate cuts. J.B. Hunt Stock Down 13%: Here’s Why
• Negative Sentiment: The warning also intensified concerns across the trucking industry, where weak pricing and persistent cost inflation have pressured peers. Investors may remain cautious until J.B. Hunt’s next earnings report confirms whether improved supply-demand conditions can offset the cost increases. J.B. Hunt Faces Persistent Cost Pressures

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Profile

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc is a transportation and logistics company headquartered in Lowell, Arkansas. Through its operating segments, the company provides freight transportation, logistics and supply-chain services to customers across North America.

Its principal businesses include intermodal transportation, which combines rail and trucking; dedicated contract services, which provides customized transportation and fleet-management solutions; and integrated capacity solutions, which matches customer freight with available transportation capacity.

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