Scientech Research LLC Buys 8,000 Shares of 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 stake 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 filing with the SEC. The firm owned 10,402 shares of the transportation company's stock after acquiring an additional 8,000 shares during the quarter. J.B. Hunt Transport Services comprises about 0.4% of Scientech Research LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. Scientech Research LLC's holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services were worth $1,539,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of JBHT. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 365,364 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $62,353,000 after acquiring an additional 7,080 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 8.7% during the 4th quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,801 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $649,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. lifted its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 97.6% during the 4th quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 5,672 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $968,000 after acquiring an additional 2,801 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 51.7% during the 4th quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 7,672 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,309,000 after acquiring an additional 2,615 shares during the period. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG lifted its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 8.9% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 383,007 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $65,364,000 after acquiring an additional 31,384 shares during the period. 74.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on JBHT. Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $170.00 target price (down from $175.00) on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Barclays boosted their price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $163.00 price target (up previously from $150.00) on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. Baird R W raised J.B. Hunt Transport Services to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $160.00 to $155.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, J.B. Hunt Transport Services currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $165.00.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Price Performance

Shares of JBHT opened at $143.73 on Friday. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a 12-month low of $122.79 and a 12-month high of $200.40. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $146.69 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $144.37. 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 stock has a market cap of $13.91 billion, a PE ratio of 26.13, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.28.

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 earnings per share (EPS) 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 analyst estimates of $2.93 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.32 EPS. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's revenue for the quarter was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 6.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 8th were issued a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 8th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's dividend payout ratio is presently 32.00%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP David Keefauver sold 989 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 23rd. The stock was 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 filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Eric Mcgee purchased 1,148 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 4th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $140.76 per share, with a total value 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. 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.

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