Empirical Capital Management LLC Has $4.44 Million Stock Holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. $JBHT

Key Points

• Empirical Capital Management LLC has reduced its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 25.9%, now owning 30,000 shares worth approximately $4.44 million.
• Several analysts have reassessed J.B. Hunt's stock, with ratings ranging from "Strong Buy" to "Hold," and a consensus target price of $165.00.
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.44, representing an annualized dividend yield of 1.2%.

Empirical Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) by 25.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 30,000 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 10,500 shares during the period. J.B. Hunt Transport Services makes up about 3.2% of Empirical Capital Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Empirical Capital Management LLC's holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services were worth $4,439,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 13.1% during the first quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 10,467 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,529,000 after buying an additional 1,209 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas bought a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the first quarter worth about $1,746,000. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 22.4% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 656 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $97,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 179.8% during the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,990 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $590,000 after purchasing an additional 2,564 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 8.1% during the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,596 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $976,000 after purchasing an additional 494 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.95% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on JBHT shares. UBS Group downgraded J.B. Hunt Transport Services from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $155.00 to $157.00 in a report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on 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. Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. 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 report on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, Robert W. Baird started coverage on J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Tuesday, July 1st. They set an "outperform" rating and a $169.00 price target on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, J.B. Hunt Transport Services presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $165.00.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Performance

Shares of JBHT opened at $143.73 on Monday. 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 business's 50 day moving average price is $146.69 and its 200-day moving average price is $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 stock has a market cap of $13.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.13, a P/E/G ratio of 2.21 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 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 company had revenue of $2.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.93 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.32 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 6.37 earnings per share 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. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 8th were given 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 of this dividend was Friday, August 8th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's payout ratio is currently 32.00%.

Insider Activity 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 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Eric Mcgee acquired 1,148 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,397 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,041,201.72. The trade was a 18.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 2.30% of the company's stock.

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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