J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) Sees Large Decline in Short Interest

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totaling 2,101,776 shares, a decline of 31.8% from the June 30th total of 3,083,665 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 941,183 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.2 days. Approximately 2.3% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Trending Headlines about J.B. Hunt Transport Services

Here are the key news stories impacting J.B. Hunt Transport Services this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised EPS estimates across multiple periods. Its forecasts increased for Q3 2026 to $2.05 from $1.97, Q4 2026 to $2.19 from $2.07, and fiscal 2026 to $7.65 from $7.21. Estimates were also lifted for Q1 2027 to $1.63, Q2 2027 to $2.05, Q3 2027 to $3.16, Q4 2027 to $2.84, and Q1 2028 to $1.62. The revisions suggest stronger expected profitability for JBHT.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks maintained a “Strong-Buy” rating. Its revised fiscal 2026 forecast of $7.65 remains close to the broader consensus estimate of $7.71, reinforcing a constructive analyst outlook.
• Neutral Sentiment: An article compares ArcBest (ARCB) and J.B. Hunt (JBHT) as potential value investments, but the available report does not provide a specific conclusion or new fundamental information about J.B. Hunt. ARCB or JBHT: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: The stock’s decline may reflect valuation or profit-taking rather than deterioration in the news flow. JBHT trades at a relatively elevated price-to-earnings ratio of about 38, which can make the shares sensitive to broader market sentiment even as earnings expectations improve.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Trading Down 2.5%

JBHT opened at $269.21 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.13, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a 12 month low of $130.12 and a 12 month high of $299.76. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $280.02 and its 200 day simple moving average is $243.83.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The transportation company reported $1.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.20. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 18.75% and a net margin of 5.31%.The firm had revenue of $3.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.26 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.31 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 19.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that J.B. Hunt Transport Services will post 7.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 7th will be given a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 7th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s dividend payout ratio is currently 25.50%.

Insider Activity

In other J.B. Hunt Transport Services news, EVP Spencer Frazier sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $258.20, for a total value of $516,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,604 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,188,752.80. This trade represents a 30.28% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Brian Webb sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.01, for a total value of $426,015.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 15,881 shares in the company, valued at $4,510,362.81. The trade was a 8.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 15,847 shares of company stock worth $4,162,861. 2.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 500.0% in the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 150 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Whittier Trust Co. grew its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 39.1% during the 4th quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 178 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 34.3% in the fourth quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 188 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Activest Wealth Management raised its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 19,800.0% in the fourth quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 199 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 198 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.95% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

JBHT has been the topic of several recent research reports. Argus set a $285.00 price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Monday, April 20th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and set a $248.00 target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Monday, May 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $280.00 to $313.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Citizens Jmp began coverage on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $280.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $286.30.

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.