J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) Announces $0.45 Quarterly Dividend

Key Points

• J.B. Hunt declared a quarterly dividend of $0.45 per share (annualized $1.80), with record/ex-dividend date on May 8 and payment on May 22, implying a yield of about 0.7%.
• The company beat quarterly expectations, reporting $1.49 EPS vs. $1.45 estimate and $3.06 billion in revenue (+4.6% YoY); analysts forecast roughly $7.25 in EPS for the current fiscal year and $8.94 next year.
• J.B. Hunt has raised its dividend for 22 consecutive years and maintains a conservative payout ratio (~25.6%, projected ~20.1%), while the stock trades near a one-year high (~$253.71) with a market cap of about $24 billion and a PE of ~39.3.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, April 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 8th will be paid a dividend of 0.45 per share by the transportation company on Friday, May 22nd. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 8th.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services has raised its dividend payment by an average of 0.1%annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend every year for the last 22 years. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a dividend payout ratio of 25.6% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect J.B. Hunt Transport Services to earn $8.94 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.80 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 20.1%.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Performance

Shares of JBHT opened at $253.71 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.26 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $220.49 and a 200-day moving average of $197.88. The company has a market cap of $24.00 billion, a PE ratio of 39.27, a P/E/G ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 1.22. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a one year low of $126.05 and a one year high of $256.18.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 15th. The transportation company reported $1.49 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $3.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.01 billion. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 17.30% and a net margin of 5.13%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.17 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that J.B. Hunt Transport Services will post 7.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director James K. Thompson sold 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $254.28, for a total value of $254,280.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 19,559 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,973,462.52. The trade was a 4.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, COO Nicholas Hobbs sold 1,272 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $250.75, for a total transaction of $318,954.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 91,736 shares of the company's stock, valued at $23,002,802. This represents a 1.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 19,869 shares of company stock valued at $4,504,707 in the last three months. 2.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of J.B. Hunt Transport Services

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Cromwell Holdings LLC grew its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 52.2% during the third quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 207 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 41.5% during the third quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 225 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 52.8% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 220 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 74.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About J.B. Hunt Transport Services

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc is a leading provider of transportation and logistics solutions headquartered in Lowell, Arkansas. The company offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to move freight efficiently across North America, including intermodal, dedicated contract services, full truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), final mile delivery and specialized transport.

In its intermodal segment, J.B. Hunt leverages a network of rail and truck assets to transport containers and trailers on major U.S.

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