Russell Investments Group Ltd. Sells 21,096 Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT)

Key Points

• Russell Investments Group Ltd. sold 21,096 shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, reducing its holdings by 8.9%, and now owns approximately 0.22% of the company worth about $31.98 million.
• J.B. Hunt reported earnings of $1.31 per share, missing expectations by $0.03, with total revenue of $2.93 billion, showing no year-over-year growth.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.44, translating to an annualized yield of 1.2% and a payout ratio of 32%.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. lowered its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) by 8.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 216,221 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 21,096 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned 0.22% of J.B. Hunt Transport Services worth $31,981,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of JBHT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 14.6% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,853,092 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $718,015,000 after acquiring an additional 616,986 shares during the last quarter. Demars Financial Group LLC raised its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 16,964.6% in the fourth quarter. Demars Financial Group LLC now owns 610,059 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $104,113,000 after buying an additional 606,484 shares in the last quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2,408.1% in the fourth quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 213,888 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $36,502,000 after buying an additional 205,360 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen LLC acquired a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the first quarter valued at approximately $29,497,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2.0% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 10,048,462 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,486,670,000 after buying an additional 195,873 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.95% of the company's stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of JBHT traded down $1.00 on Friday, reaching $143.45. The company's stock had a trading volume of 544,605 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,064,553. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a twelve month low of $122.79 and a twelve month high of $200.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.89 billion, a PE ratio of 26.08, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.29. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $145.77 and a 200-day moving average of $146.90.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 15th. The transportation company reported $1.31 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $2.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.93 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.32 EPS. The company's revenue was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, August 8th will be issued a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 8th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's dividend payout ratio is currently 32.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

JBHT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Baird R W upgraded shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 1st. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $155.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target 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. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $164.00 price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $164.90.

Insider Transactions 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 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 in the company, valued at approximately $143,763.62. This trade represents a 51.11% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Eric Mcgee acquired 1,148 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 4th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $140.76 per share, with a total value of $161,592.48. Following the purchase, the executive vice president owned 7,397 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,041,201.72. The trade was 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.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Company 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.