J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is moderately bullish: Twenty-six analysts assign J.B. Hunt a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, with an average 12-month price target of $286.30 versus the reported share price of $266.14.
• Quarterly results exceeded expectations: J.B. Hunt reported earnings of $1.91 per share and revenue of $3.50 billion, beating estimates of $1.71 per share and $3.26 billion; revenue increased 19.4% year over year.
• Investors receive a quarterly dividend: The company declared a $0.45-per-share dividend, equal to $1.80 annually and a 0.7% yield. Institutional investors own approximately 74.95% of the stock, while insiders have sold shares worth about $4.16 million over the past 90 days.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-six analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have issued a hold recommendation, thirteen have issued a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $286.3043.

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Susquehanna set a $345.00 price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Stephens upped their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $310.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Argus set a $285.00 target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Monday, April 20th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP David Keefauver sold 703 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.13, for a total value of $200,446.39. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 790 shares of the company's stock, valued at $225,252.70. The trade was a 47.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Spencer Frazier sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $258.20, for a total value of $516,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,604 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,188,752.80. The trade was a 30.28% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 15,847 shares of company stock worth $4,162,861 over the last ninety days. 2.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On J.B. Hunt Transport Services

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of JBHT. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the second quarter worth $1,833,602,000. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 7.1% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,122,669 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $592,015,000 after buying an additional 272,594 shares during the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 1.1% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 3,982,720 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $843,937,000 after acquiring an additional 41,887 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 17.7% during the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,755,171 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $729,780,000 after acquiring an additional 565,605 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,612,262 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $216,317,000 after acquiring an additional 82,939 shares during the last quarter. 74.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NASDAQ JBHT opened at $266.14 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $25.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.30. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a 52-week low of $130.12 and a 52-week high of $299.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 1.26 and a current ratio of 1.26. The company's 50 day moving average price is $280.08 and its 200-day moving average price is $247.02.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The transportation company reported $1.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.71 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $3.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.26 billion. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a net margin of 5.31% and a return on equity of 18.75%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's revenue for the quarter was up 19.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.31 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that J.B. Hunt Transport Services will post 7.75 earnings per share for the current year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 7th will be given a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 7th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.50%.

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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