J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) Stock Gets Price Target Reduction from Citigroup

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) had its price target reduced by Citigroup from $309.00 to $254.00 in a research note released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the transportation company’s stock.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “underweight” rating and issued a $200.00 target price (up from $190.00) on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $320.00 to $290.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, September 17th. Stephens upped their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $291.00 to $264.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, September 17th. Finally, Bank of America cut their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $340.00 to $302.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $277.00.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:JBHT opened at $229.26 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $21.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.47, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.26 and a quick ratio of 1.26. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $255.63 and a 200 day simple moving average of $258.18. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a one year low of $136.46 and a one year high of $299.76.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The transportation company reported $1.91 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.20. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a net margin of 5.31% and a return on equity of 18.75%. The firm had revenue of $3.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.26 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.31 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 19.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that J.B. Hunt Transport Services will post 7.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 7th were given a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 7th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s payout ratio is 25.50%.

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

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. LifeGoal Investments LLC grew its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 7.8% during the 3rd quarter. LifeGoal Investments LLC now owns 1,264 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $283,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 28.6% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 3,509 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $786,000 after purchasing an additional 780 shares during the period. Apella Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the 3rd quarter valued at about $316,000. Eastern Bank boosted its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 6.8% during the 3rd quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 768 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $172,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Finally, QRG Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the second quarter worth approximately $219,000. 74.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street expects J.B. Hunt to report earnings growth in the third quarter, which could support the stock if results exceed lowered expectations or management provides an encouraging outlook. JB Hunt Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: The company is preparing to release third-quarter results, with earnings coverage focused on whether revenue and profit can meet investor expectations. The report is likely to be the next major catalyst for JBHT. JBHT Earnings Reports
• Neutral Sentiment: Some valuation commentary says JBHT is trading below estimated fair value, potentially offering long-term upside, although near-term operating risks remain a concern. J.B. Hunt Stock Trades Below Fair Value As Caution Lingers
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts identify rising transportation costs, labor pressures and weak Final Mile performance as headwinds for the third quarter. J.B. Hunt also has a negative Earnings ESP, reducing confidence in an earnings beat and weighing on the near-term outlook. J.B. Hunt Gears Up for Q3 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Rosen Law Firm and Pomerantz LLP announced investigations into potential securities claims involving J.B. Hunt. The announcements do not establish wrongdoing, but they add legal and reputational uncertainty and may pressure investor sentiment. Rosen Securities Class Action Investigation Pomerantz Investor Investigation

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Company Profile

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc is a transportation and logistics company headquartered in Lowell, Arkansas. Founded in 1961 by Johnnie Bryan Hunt and Johnelle Hunt, the company has grown from a small trucking operation into a major provider of freight transportation and supply-chain services across North America.

The company’s primary business activities include intermodal transportation, which combines rail and truck services; dedicated contract services, which provides customized fleet and delivery operations for individual customers; and integrated capacity solutions, including freight brokerage and third-party logistics.