J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) Shares Acquired by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) by 111.1% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 956,504 shares of the transportation company’s stock after acquiring an additional 503,324 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services were worth $163,237,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in JBHT. True Wealth Design LLC increased its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2,028.6% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 149 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. National Pension Service purchased a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. BankPlus Trust Department purchased a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 102.2% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 281 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 68.7% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 329 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. 74.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Trading Up 0.3 %

Shares of NASDAQ:JBHT opened at $149.46 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $167.72 and its 200 day moving average price is $173.53. The company has a market cap of $14.95 billion, a PE ratio of 26.88, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.16. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $147.00 and a fifty-two week high of $200.40.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 16th. The transportation company reported $1.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.62 by ($0.09). J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 14.05% and a net margin of 4.72%. The business had revenue of $3.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.13 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.47 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 6.37 earnings per share for the current year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th were paid a $0.44 dividend. This is a boost from J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.18%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 31.65%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $167.00 to $161.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Evercore ISI dropped their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $207.00 to $202.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $189.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Raymond James lowered their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $200.00 to $190.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $205.00 target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Friday, January 17th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $186.80.

Insider Activity

In other J.B. Hunt Transport Services news, Director James K. Thompson sold 4,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.37, for a total transaction of $771,628.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 23,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,131,541.83. This trade represents a 15.74 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Darren P. Field sold 1,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.67, for a total transaction of $194,004.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 17,822 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,881,282.74. The trade was a 6.31 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services 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.