J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. $JBHT Shares Purchased by UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC

Key Points

• UBS AM has increased its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 1.1%, acquiring a total of 624,531 shares valued at approximately $92.4 million.
• Analysts have set a wide range of price targets for J.B. Hunt, with Goldman Sachs setting a target of $164 and UBS adjusting theirs from $155 to $157 while maintaining a "neutral" rating.
• J.B. Hunt recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.44 per share, representing an annual yield of 1.3%.

UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) by 1.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 624,531 shares of the transportation company's stock after buying an additional 6,929 shares during the quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC owned about 0.63% of J.B. Hunt Transport Services worth $92,399,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Summit Securities Group LLC raised its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 19,600.0% in the first quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC now owns 197 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 196 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 167.0% during the first quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 235 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. National Pension Service raised its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 74.9% during the first quarter. National Pension Service now owns 306 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC grew its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 49.3% in the first quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 330 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the period. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 34.3% in the first quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 482 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $71,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the period. 74.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on JBHT. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target 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. Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Tuesday, July 1st. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $169.00 price objective on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $163.00 price objective (up previously from $150.00) on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price 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. Finally, Raymond James Financial boosted their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $165.00.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ JBHT traded down $1.58 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $136.35. The stock had a trading volume of 1,017,008 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,023,403. The firm has a market cap of $13.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.79, a PEG ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 1.28. 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 fifty-two week low of $122.79 and a fifty-two week high of $200.40. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $145.40 and a 200-day moving average of $143.26.

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 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.34 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $2.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.32 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict 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 paid a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 8th. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's dividend payout ratio is currently 32.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP David Keefauver sold 989 shares of the company's 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 946 shares in the company, valued at $143,763.62. This represents a 51.11% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Eric Mcgee purchased 1,148 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 4th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $140.76 per share, for a total transaction of $161,592.48. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 7,397 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,041,201.72. This trade represents a 18.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase 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.