Empowered Funds LLC Makes New $10.25 Million Investment in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. $JBHT

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new $10.25 million stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the second quarter, purchasing 35,407 shares. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 74.95% of the company.
• J.B. Hunt reported quarterly earnings of $1.91 per share, 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, representing a 0.7% yield.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $286.30, although two executives recently sold shares. The stock opened at $261.03, below its 50-day moving average of $277.33.

Empowered Funds LLC bought a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 35,407 shares of the transportation company's stock, valued at approximately $10,248,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of JBHT. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC increased its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 34.3% in the 4th quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 188 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Activest Wealth Management raised its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 19,800.0% in the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 199 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. 74.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:JBHT opened at $261.03 on Friday. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a 1-year low of $130.12 and a 1-year high of $299.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.26 and a quick ratio of 1.26. The stock has a market cap of $24.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.30. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $277.33 and a 200 day moving average price of $252.50.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The transportation company reported $1.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.71 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $3.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.31 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 7.75 EPS for the current year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Friday, August 7th were issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 7th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's dividend payout ratio is currently 25.50%.

Insider Transactions at J.B. Hunt Transport Services

In other J.B. Hunt Transport Services news, EVP David Keefauver sold 703 shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.13, for a total value of $200,446.39. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 790 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $225,252.70. The trade was a 47.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Brian Webb sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $284.01, for a total value of $426,015.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 15,881 shares in the company, valued at $4,510,362.81. The trade was a 8.63% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 2.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have issued reports on JBHT. Stephens lifted their price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Barclays boosted their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $270.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $265.00 to $297.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, J.B. Hunt Transport Services has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $286.30.

About J.B. Hunt Transport Services

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc is a leading provider of transportation and logistics solutions headquartered in Lowell, Arkansas. The company offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to move freight efficiently across North America, including intermodal, dedicated contract services, full truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), final mile delivery and specialized transport.

In its intermodal segment, J.B. Hunt leverages a network of rail and truck assets to transport containers and trailers on major U.S.

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