UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC Grows Stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. $JBHT

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 boosted its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) by 1.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 624,531 shares of the transportation company's stock after acquiring an additional 6,929 shares during the quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC owned 0.63% of J.B. Hunt Transport Services worth $92,399,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of JBHT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 14.6% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,853,092 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $718,015,000 after acquiring an additional 616,986 shares during the period. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC raised its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2,408.1% during the 4th quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 213,888 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $36,502,000 after purchasing an additional 205,360 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen LLC bought a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,497,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 10,048,462 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,486,670,000 after purchasing an additional 195,873 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 11.5% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,408,057 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $208,322,000 after purchasing an additional 144,666 shares during the last quarter. 74.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Up 0.4%

JBHT stock traded up $0.54 on Thursday, reaching $135.06. 1,139,993 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,083,404. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a one year low of $122.79 and a one year high of $200.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The company has a market cap of $13.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 1.28. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $144.34 and a 200-day simple moving average of $143.01.

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 net margin of 4.59% and a return on equity of 14.26%. The company had revenue of $2.93 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.93 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.32 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. Research 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 firm also recently announced 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. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 8th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at J.B. Hunt Transport Services

In other J.B. Hunt Transport Services news, EVP Eric Mcgee bought 1,148 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 4th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $140.76 per share, for a total transaction 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. This trade represents a 18.37% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP David Keefauver sold 989 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 23rd. The shares were 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 approximately $143,763.62. This represents a 51.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 2.30% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on JBHT shares. UBS Group lowered J.B. Hunt Transport Services from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and upped their price target for the company from $155.00 to $157.00 in a research report on Friday, September 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $164.00 price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. Barclays upped their price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Bank of America decreased their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $171.00 to $153.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on 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. One research 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, J.B. Hunt Transport Services has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $164.14.

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.