Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA Sells 272,430 Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT)

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lessened its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) by 19.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,124,710 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 272,430 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA owned approximately 1.13% of J.B. Hunt Transport Services worth $166,401,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 13.1% in the 1st quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 10,467 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,529,000 after buying an additional 1,209 shares in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas purchased a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the first quarter worth $1,746,000. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 22.4% in the first 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 last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 179.8% in the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,990 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $590,000 after acquiring an additional 2,564 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position 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 valued at $976,000 after purchasing an additional 494 shares in the last quarter. 74.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Trading Down 2.2%

Shares of JBHT stock opened at $148.86 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a 12-month low of $122.79 and a 12-month high of $200.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.29. The firm's 50 day moving average is $143.71 and its 200 day moving average is $151.63.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 15th. The transportation company reported $1.31 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.34 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $2.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.93 billion. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 14.07% and a net margin of 4.65%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's revenue for the quarter was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.32 EPS. Research analysts expect that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 6.37 earnings per share for the current year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, May 9th were given a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 9th. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.18%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.94%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, COO Nicholas Hobbs acquired 1,529 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $130.75 per share, with a total value of $199,916.75. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 91,847 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,008,995.25. This represents a 1.69% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 2.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $148.00 price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $150.00 to $159.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $160.00 to $140.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Stephens lowered their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $170.00 to $165.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Finally, Susquehanna restated a "neutral" rating and set a $155.00 price target (up from $140.00) on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Tuesday, June 24th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, J.B. Hunt Transport Services currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $163.43.

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.

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