Scientech Research LLC Boosts Stock Position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. $JBHT

Key Points

• Scientech Research LLC significantly increased its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 333.1%, acquiring an additional 8,000 shares, bringing their total holdings to 10,402 shares worth approximately $1,539,000.
• Analysts currently have a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for J.B. Hunt Transport Services, with an average price target of $165.00, suggesting potential for growth.
• J.B. Hunt recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.44 per share, reflecting a 1.2% yield with a payout ratio of 32.00%.

Scientech Research LLC grew its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) by 333.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 10,402 shares of the transportation company's stock after acquiring an additional 8,000 shares during the period. J.B. Hunt Transport Services comprises approximately 0.4% of Scientech Research LLC's holdings, making the stock its 28th largest position. Scientech Research LLC's holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services were worth $1,539,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of JBHT. Petrus Trust Company LTA bought a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the 1st quarter worth approximately $405,000. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. bought a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the 1st quarter valued at $1,488,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 74.3% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,643 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $2,314,000 after buying an additional 6,668 shares in the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2.1% during 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Kettle Hill Capital Management LLC bought a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the 1st quarter worth $2,289,000. 74.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of JBHT stock traded down $2.71 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $138.74. 252,215 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,119,073. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.28. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a 12-month low of $122.79 and a 12-month high of $200.40. The company's 50-day moving average price is $145.94 and its 200-day moving average price is $143.82. 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 (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $2.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.93 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.32 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 8th were given a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 8th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's payout ratio is 32.00%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on JBHT. Susquehanna boosted 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 report on Wednesday, July 16th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $160.00 to $155.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $159.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. UBS Group cut shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $155.00 to $157.00 in a research report on Friday, September 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $163.00 price target (up from $150.00) on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $165.00.

Insider Activity at J.B. Hunt Transport Services

In related news, EVP David Keefauver sold 989 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.97, for a total value of $150,298.33. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 946 shares of the company's stock, valued at $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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Eric Mcgee purchased 1,148 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 4th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $140.76 per share, for a total transaction of $161,592.48. Following the purchase, the executive vice president owned 7,397 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,041,201.72. This trade represents a 18.37% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 2.30% of the company's stock.

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.