Aberdeen Group plc Increases Stock Holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. $JBHT

Key Points

• Aberdeen Group plc increased its ownership in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 74.3% in the 1st quarter, acquiring a total of 58,392 shares worth approximately $8.58 million.
• J.B. Hunt reported a $1.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the last quarter, falling short of analysts' expectations of $1.34, despite achieving revenues of $2.93 billion.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.44 per share, which translates to an annualized yield of 1.2% and a payout ratio of 32%.

Aberdeen Group plc increased its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) by 74.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 58,392 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 24,882 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc owned 0.06% of J.B. Hunt Transport Services worth $8,575,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 167.0% during the first quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 235 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 147 shares during the period. National Pension Service increased its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 74.9% in the 1st quarter. National Pension Service now owns 306 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC lifted its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 49.3% during the 1st 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 period. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 22.4% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 656 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $97,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares during the period. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC boosted its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 13.2% during the first quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 731 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $108,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.95% of the company's stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Down 4.9%

Shares of JBHT stock traded down $7.39 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $142.75. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,156,038 shares, compared to its average volume of 978,482. The stock has a market cap of $13.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.95, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.87. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $122.79 and a 52-week high of $200.40. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $146.12 and a 200 day moving average price of $145.70.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 15th. The transportation company reported $1.31 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $2.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.93 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.32 earnings per share. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's quarterly revenue was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 6.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 8th were paid a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 8th. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's payout ratio is currently 32.00%.

Insider Activity at J.B. Hunt Transport Services

In related news, EVP Eric Mcgee bought 1,148 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 4th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $140.76 per share, with a total value of $161,592.48. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,397 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,041,201.72. This trade represents a 18.37% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP David Keefauver sold 989 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.97, for a total transaction of $150,298.33. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 946 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $143,763.62. This represents a 51.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

JBHT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $164.00 price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $155.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $163.00 target price (up from $150.00) on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, Bank of America raised their price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $166.00 to $171.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $164.90.

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.