J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) Sees Large Decline in Short Interest

Key Points

• Short interest fell 31.8% to 2.1 million shares as of July 15, representing about 2.3% of J.B. Hunt’s shares outstanding and 2.2 days of average trading volume.
• J.B. Hunt beat quarterly expectations with EPS of $1.91 versus $1.71 expected and revenue of $3.50 billion, up 19.4% year over year. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $286.30.
• The stock opened at $269.21, down 2.5%, while the company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.45 per share, equivalent to a $1.80 annual payout and a 0.7% yield.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) saw a large decrease in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totaling 2,101,776 shares, a decrease of 31.8% from the June 30th total of 3,083,665 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 941,183 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.2 days. Approximately 2.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Citizens Jmp assumed coverage on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. They issued a "market perform" rating on the stock. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $248.00 price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Truist Financial upped their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $280.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Zacks Research raised J.B. Hunt Transport Services from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $286.30.

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

In other news, EVP David Keefauver sold 703 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $285.13, for a total transaction 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. This trade represents a 47.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Spencer Frazier sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 19th. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at $1,188,752.80. This trade represents a 30.28% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 15,847 shares of company stock worth $4,162,861. 2.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the second quarter valued at about $31,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the 2nd quarter valued at about $34,000. Whittier Trust Co. increased its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 39.1% in the 4th quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 178 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. 74.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Down 2.5%

JBHT opened at $269.21 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $25.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.13, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.29. 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 firm's 50-day simple moving average is $280.02 and its 200-day simple moving average is $243.83. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a twelve month low of $130.12 and a twelve month high of $299.76.

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

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 7th will be paid a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 7th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's payout ratio is 25.50%.

Key Stories Impacting J.B. Hunt Transport Services

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised EPS estimates across multiple periods. Its forecasts increased for Q3 2026 to $2.05 from $1.97, Q4 2026 to $2.19 from $2.07, and fiscal 2026 to $7.65 from $7.21. Estimates were also lifted for Q1 2027 to $1.63, Q2 2027 to $2.05, Q3 2027 to $3.16, Q4 2027 to $2.84, and Q1 2028 to $1.62. The revisions suggest stronger expected profitability for JBHT.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks maintained a “Strong-Buy” rating. Its revised fiscal 2026 forecast of $7.65 remains close to the broader consensus estimate of $7.71, reinforcing a constructive analyst outlook.
• Neutral Sentiment: An article compares ArcBest (ARCB) and J.B. Hunt (JBHT) as potential value investments, but the available report does not provide a specific conclusion or new fundamental information about J.B. Hunt. ARCB or JBHT: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: The stock’s decline may reflect valuation or profit-taking rather than deterioration in the news flow. JBHT trades at a relatively elevated price-to-earnings ratio of about 38, which can make the shares sensitive to broader market sentiment even as earnings expectations improve.

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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