J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) Sets New 12-Month High - Here's Why

Key Points

• 52-week high: J.B. Hunt shares hit an intraday 52-week high of $256.18 (last $251.09) with a market cap of about $23.75 billion and a reported PE ratio of 38.87.
• Analyst view: Several firms (Barclays, Morgan Stanley, Baird, Truist) have raised price targets and ratings, and MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with a $224.87 consensus price target.
• Quarterly results and payout: J.B. Hunt beat estimates with $1.49 EPS (vs. $1.45 est.) and $3.06B revenue (up 4.6% YoY), and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.45 ($1.80 annualized).

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $256.18 and last traded at $251.09, with a volume of 897278 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $251.60.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

JBHT has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Barclays lifted their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $200.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $215.00 to $236.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $205.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, J.B. Hunt Transport Services presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $224.87.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $219.45 and a two-hundred day moving average of $197.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.75 billion, a PE ratio of 38.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.26 and a quick ratio of 0.81.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 15th. The transportation company reported $1.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.04. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 17.30% and a net margin of 5.13%.The firm had revenue of $3.06 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.01 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.17 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 7.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, February 6th were given a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from J.B. Hunt Transport Services's previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 6th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.86%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Jennifer Boattini sold 2,238 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $232.00, for a total value of $519,216.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 16,650 shares in the company, valued at $3,862,800. This trade represents a 11.85% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Darren P. Field sold 9,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.76, for a total value of $1,977,840.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 10,736 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,359,343.36. This trade represents a 45.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 21,516 shares of company stock valued at $4,754,973 in the last three months. Company insiders own 2.50% of the company's stock.

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

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 13.2% in the 1st quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,596 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $550,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the 1st quarter worth about $805,000. Fairvoy Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the 1st quarter worth about $1,862,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management raised its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 62.6% in the 1st quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 2,371 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $502,000 after purchasing an additional 913 shares during the period. Finally, Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the 1st quarter valued at about $207,000. 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 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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