Hub Group (NASDAQ:HUBG) Trading Down 12.1% – Here’s What Happened

Hub Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HUBG)’s share price traded down 12.1% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $37.52 and last traded at $37.3720. 776,521 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 16% from the average session volume of 926,101 shares. The stock had previously closed at $42.53.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on HUBG shares. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $55.00 price target (up previously from $47.00) on shares of Hub Group in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Susquehanna upped their target price on Hub Group from $42.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Hub Group from $42.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Zacks Research raised shares of Hub Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $27.00 price objective on shares of Hub Group and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Hub Group currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $44.53.

Hub Group Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 1.47 and a quick ratio of 1.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.13. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $45.13 and a 200-day moving average price of $39.17.

Hub Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 5th were issued a dividend of $0.125 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 5th. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Hub Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.90%.

Insider Transactions at Hub Group

In other Hub Group news, Director Gary Yablon purchased 4,566 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $43.73 per share, with a total value of $199,671.18. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 32,778 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,433,381.94. This represents a 16.18% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Phillip D. Yeager sold 32,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.68, for a total transaction of $1,397,760.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 168,315 shares in the company, valued at $7,351,999.20. The trade was a 15.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 3.48% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Hub Group

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings in Hub Group by 265.9% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 644 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 468 shares in the last quarter. Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in Hub Group during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Hub Group during the third quarter worth about $35,000. Quarry LP grew its stake in shares of Hub Group by 271.5% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,107 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 809 shares during the period. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Hub Group by 33.4% in the 2nd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,282 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 321 shares during the period. 46.77% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Hub Group

Hub Group, Inc (NASDAQ: HUBG) is a leading supply chain solutions provider headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois. Founded in 1971 as Hub City Terminals and renamed Hub Group in 1978, the company completed its initial public offering in 2007. Over the decades, Hub Group has developed a comprehensive multimodal transportation network, leveraging partnerships with major rail carriers and an extensive drayage fleet to offer cost-efficient, sustainable shipping alternatives.

The company operates through two primary segments: Intermodal and Transportation Management.