J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) Announces Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.30 EPS

Key Points

• J.B. Hunt Transport Services reported quarterly earnings of $1.76 EPS, exceeding analysts' expectations of $1.49 EPS by $0.27.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.44, reflecting an annualized dividend yield of 1.3%.
• According to analysts, J.B. Hunt has received various price target adjustments, with the consensus target price set at $160.14 and an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The transportation company reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $0.30, Zacks reports. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 14.26% and a net margin of 4.59%.During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.49 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Price Performance

Shares of JBHT traded down $0.54 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $138.83. 2,197,541 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,149,874. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a one year low of $122.79 and a one year high of $200.40. The firm has a market cap of $13.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.24, a PEG ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $140.14 and a 200-day moving average of $140.90.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 8th were issued a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 8th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's payout ratio is presently 32.00%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on JBHT. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $170.00 to $163.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $180.00 to $170.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $155.00 to $145.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 6th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $158.00 target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Thursday, October 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $160.14.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP David Keefauver sold 989 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.97, for a total value of $150,298.33. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 946 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $143,763.62. This represents a 51.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Eric Mcgee bought 1,148 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 4th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $140.76 per share, with a total value of $161,592.48. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,397 shares in the company, valued at $1,041,201.72. The trade was a 18.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 2.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of J.B. Hunt Transport Services

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JBHT. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 21.0% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 583 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $84,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 7.8% during the second quarter. Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors LLC now owns 1,538 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $221,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Vident Advisory LLC grew its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 4.5% in the second quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 3,284 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $472,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC raised its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 3.4% in the second quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 4,399 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $632,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. lifted its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 0.6% during the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 32,050 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $4,602,000 after buying an additional 193 shares during the period. 74.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.