MBB Public Markets I LLC Takes Position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. $JBHT

Key Points

• MBB Public Markets I LLC acquired 2,154 shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, valued at approximately $319,000, marking a new stake for the firm.
• J.B. Hunt's stock has experienced a 1.4% decline, with the current price at $141.00 and a twelve-month price range between $122.79 and $200.40.
• The company reported earnings of $1.31 per share, missing analysts' expectations, while also announcing a quarterly dividend of $0.44 per share.

MBB Public Markets I LLC bought a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 2,154 shares of the transportation company's stock, valued at approximately $319,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased 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 worth $1,486,670,000 after buying an additional 195,873 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 14.6% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,853,092 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $718,015,000 after buying an additional 616,986 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 11.5% in 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 buying an additional 144,666 shares during the period. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2.1% in 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 buying an additional 27,871 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 1.7% in 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 buying an additional 20,396 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.95% of the company's stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Trading Down 2.5%

Shares of JBHT stock traded down $3.52 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $137.93. 652,734 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,017,997. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a 1-year low of $122.79 and a 1-year high of $200.40. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $145.66 and a 200 day moving average price of $143.66. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $13.35 billion, a PE 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 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.34 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $2.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.93 billion. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a net margin of 4.59% and a return on equity of 14.26%. The firm's revenue was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.32 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast 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. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 8th were paid a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 8th. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's dividend payout ratio is 32.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on JBHT. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $163.00 target price (up from $150.00) on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $166.00 to $171.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $150.00 to $145.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $159.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $160.00 to $155.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, J.B. Hunt Transport Services presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $165.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at J.B. Hunt Transport Services

In other J.B. Hunt Transport Services news, EVP Eric Mcgee purchased 1,148 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 4th. The shares were bought at an average price of $140.76 per share, for a total transaction of $161,592.48. Following the purchase, the executive vice president directly owned 7,397 shares in the company, valued at $1,041,201.72. This trade represents a 18.37% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 946 shares in the company, valued at approximately $143,763.62. This trade represents a 51.11% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 2.30% of the company's stock.

About J.B. Hunt Transport Services

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.