Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. Boosts Holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. $JBHT

Key Points

• Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. increased its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 958.7% in the first quarter, acquiring a total of 15,828 shares valued at approximately $2.34 million.
• The company reported a quarterly earnings per share of $1.31, missing analysts' expectations, while its revenue was $2.93 billion, aligning with projections.
• J.B. Hunt announced a quarterly dividend of $0.44 per share, representing an annualized yield of 1.2% with a payout ratio of 32.00%.

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. grew its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) by 958.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 15,828 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 14,333 shares during the quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.'s holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services were worth $2,342,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 10,048,462 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,486,670,000 after acquiring an additional 195,873 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 14.6% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,853,092 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $718,015,000 after acquiring an additional 616,986 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 11.5% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,408,057 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $208,322,000 after acquiring an additional 144,666 shares in the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. grew its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 1,347,508 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $199,364,000 after acquiring an additional 27,871 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,201,423 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $177,738,000 after acquiring an additional 20,396 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.95% of the company's stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Trading Down 2.5%

NASDAQ:JBHT traded down $3.52 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $137.93. 652,734 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,017,997. 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 has a 50-day moving average of $145.66 and a two-hundred day moving average of $143.66. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a twelve month low of $122.79 and a twelve month high of $200.40. The company has a market capitalization of $13.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.08, a PEG ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.28.

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

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 8th were given a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 8th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on JBHT shares. UBS Group cut shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and upped their price objective for the company from $155.00 to $157.00 in a research note on Friday, September 5th. Raymond James Financial increased their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $159.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $170.00 price objective (down from $175.00) on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $165.00.

Insider Activity at J.B. Hunt Transport Services

In other J.B. Hunt Transport Services news, EVP David Keefauver sold 989 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.97, for a total value of $150,298.33. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 946 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $143,763.62. This represents a 51.11% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Eric Mcgee acquired 1,148 shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 4th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $140.76 per share, for a total transaction of $161,592.48. Following the completion of the acquisition, the executive vice president directly owned 7,397 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,041,201.72. This represents a 18.37% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 2.30% of the company's stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services 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.