Virtu Financial LLC Makes New Investment in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT)

Key Points

• Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., purchasing 16,876 shares valued at approximately $2.5 million during the 1st quarter.
• J.B. Hunt's recent earnings report revealed an EPS of $1.31, missing analysts' estimates by $0.03, despite revenue meeting expectations at $2.93 billion.
• J.B. Hunt recently announced a $0.44 quarterly dividend, with an annualized dividend yield of 1.3%.

Virtu Financial LLC bought a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 16,876 shares of the transportation company's stock, valued at approximately $2,497,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 13.1% in the 1st quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 10,467 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,529,000 after buying an additional 1,209 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas bought a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,746,000. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 22.4% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 656 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $97,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 179.8% during the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,990 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $590,000 after purchasing an additional 2,564 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 8.1% during the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,596 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $976,000 after purchasing an additional 494 shares during the last quarter. 74.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock opened at $139.44 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 company has a market cap of $13.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.35, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The company's 50-day moving average price is $145.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $147.90.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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). The firm had revenue of $2.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.93 billion. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 14.26% and a net margin of 4.59%. The company's quarterly revenue was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.32 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect 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 business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, August 8th will be given a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 8th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's dividend payout ratio is 32.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $170.00 price target (down from $175.00) on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $166.00 to $171.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Benchmark reissued a "buy" rating and set a $175.00 target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $148.00 price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $164.90.

Insider Activity 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 that occurred on Wednesday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.97, for a total transaction of $150,298.33. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 946 shares in the company, valued at $143,763.62. This trade represents a 51.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Eric Mcgee bought 1,148 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 7,397 shares of the company's stock, 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. 2.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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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