J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) Rating Lowered to "Neutral" at UBS Group

Key Points

• J.B. Hunt Transport Services has been downgraded by UBS Group from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating, with a price objective of $157.00, suggesting an 8.07% upside from the previous close.
• The company's quarterly earnings report showed a missed EPS estimate of $1.31, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.34, despite revenues meeting expectations at $2.93 billion.
• Recent institutional trading activity reflects investor interest, with multiple firms like BNP Paribas and Balyasny Asset Management significantly increasing their positions in the stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at UBS Group from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report issued on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. They currently have a $157.00 price objective on the transportation company's stock, up from their prior price objective of $155.00. UBS Group's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 15.68% from the company's current price.

JBHT has been the topic of several other research reports. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $150.00 to $145.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Baird R W upgraded shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 1st. Truist Financial lifted their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, Susquehanna boosted their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $155.00 to $157.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $165.00.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Down 3.7%

Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock traded down $5.28 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $135.72. 609,192 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,119,667. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a twelve month low of $122.79 and a twelve month high of $200.40. The company has a market cap of $13.14 billion, a PE ratio of 24.72, a PEG ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $146.47 and a 200-day simple moving average of $144.01.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 15th. The transportation company reported $1.31 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.34 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $2.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.93 billion. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 14.26% and a net margin of 4.59%.The company's revenue was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.32 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that J.B. Hunt Transport Services will post 6.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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

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

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

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in JBHT. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 13.1% in the 1st quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 10,467 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,529,000 after purchasing an additional 1,209 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas acquired a new position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the first quarter valued at approximately $1,746,000. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 22.4% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 656 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $97,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 179.8% in the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,990 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $590,000 after purchasing an additional 2,564 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 8.1% in the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,596 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $976,000 after acquiring an additional 494 shares in the last quarter. 74.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About J.B. Hunt Transport Services

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.