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

Key Points

• Shares received a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from 24 analysts (12 buys, 11 holds, 1 strong buy) with a one‑year average target of $227.04, and some brokers have recently raised targets (e.g., Susquehanna to $290).
• J.B. Hunt beat Q1 estimates with EPS of $1.49 versus $1.45 consensus and revenue of $3.06B (+4.6% YoY), and Zacks has raised FY2026–27 EPS forecasts, suggesting a stronger earnings trajectory.
• The stock traded near $248.73 (market cap $23.46B) with a P/E of 38.5, and the company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.45 ($1.80 annualized, ~0.7% yield) payable May 22.

Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" by the twenty-four research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $227.0435.

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on JBHT. Wall Street Zen raised shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. Susquehanna lifted their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $250.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a "positive" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $228.00 to $236.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $216.00 to $221.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $169.00 to $187.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th.

Key J.B. Hunt Transport Services News

Here are the key news stories impacting J.B. Hunt Transport Services this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple near‑term and medium‑term EPS forecasts, boosting FY2026 to $7.21 and FY2027 to $8.89 and raising several quarter-level estimates (including Q2–Q4 2026 and Q1–Q2 2027). Higher analyst earnings assumptions support a stronger earnings trajectory than previously modeled, which is a bullish catalyst for JBHT. MarketBeat JBHT
• Neutral Sentiment: J.B. Hunt held its annual Million Mile celebration honoring long‑tenured, accident‑free drivers — positive for safety culture and operations but unlikely to move near‑term earnings materially. 30 Years of Million Mile Drivers
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks made a small downward tweak to longer‑range forecasts — cutting FY2028 to $9.31 (from $9.45) and shaving Q3 2027 by a penny. Though modest, these trims are a reminder of uncertainty in later-year forecasts and could temper enthusiasm among growth‑oriented investors. MarketBeat JBHT

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of JBHT opened at $248.73 on Friday. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $223.12 and its 200-day moving average price is $202.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.50, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a 1-year low of $130.12 and a 1-year high of $256.18.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 15th. The transportation company reported $1.49 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.45 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $3.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.01 billion. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a net margin of 5.13% and a return on equity of 17.30%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.17 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that J.B. Hunt Transport Services will post 7.27 EPS for the current year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, May 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 8th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's payout ratio is presently 27.86%.

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

In related news, COO Nicholas Hobbs sold 1,272 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.75, for a total transaction of $318,954.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 91,736 shares of the company's stock, valued at $23,002,802. The trade was a 1.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Ronald Greer Woodruff sold 331 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.57, for a total transaction of $74,663.67. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,019 shares in the company, valued at $906,565.83. The trade was a 7.61% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 19,869 shares of company stock valued at $4,504,707 over the last three months. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On J.B. Hunt Transport Services

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Whittier Trust Co. raised its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 39.1% in the fourth quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 178 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the third quarter worth about $25,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 34.3% in the fourth quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 188 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Activest Wealth Management raised its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 19,800.0% in the fourth quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 199 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 198 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.95% of the company's stock.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.