Nomura Holdings Inc. Lowers Stock Position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. $JBHT

Key Points

• Nomura Holdings Inc. reduced its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 60.4%, selling 3,809 shares during the first quarter, leaving them with 2,500 shares worth approximately $370,000.
• Equity analysts have set varying price targets for J.B. Hunt shares, with Raymond James raising its target from $155 to $165, while Stifel Nicolaus lowered theirs from $150 to $145.
• J.B. Hunt recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.44 per share, yielding 1.2%, with a current dividend payout ratio of 32.00%.

Nomura Holdings Inc. reduced its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) by 60.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,500 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 3,809 shares during the period. Nomura Holdings Inc.'s holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services were worth $370,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Man Group plc raised its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Man Group plc now owns 11,165 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,905,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the period. Trust Investment Advisors raised its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2.3% during the first quarter. Trust Investment Advisors now owns 4,697 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $695,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the period. TD Private Client Wealth LLC raised its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 49.3% during the first quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 330 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the period. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 22.4% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 656 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $97,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares during the period. 74.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ JBHT traded up $4.51 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $141.45. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,084,212 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,001,035. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $145.94 and a two-hundred day moving average of $143.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.72, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.28. 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 1-year low of $122.79 and a 1-year high of $200.40.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last issued its 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). The business had revenue of $2.93 billion during 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%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's quarterly revenue was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.32 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 6.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, August 8th were issued a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 dividend payout ratio is currently 32.00%.

Insider Transactions at J.B. Hunt Transport Services

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

JBHT has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective 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. Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Tuesday, July 1st. They set an "outperform" rating and a $169.00 price objective for the company. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of 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. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $164.00 price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. Finally, Baird R W upgraded shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, J.B. Hunt Transport Services has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $165.00.

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.