J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.09 EPS

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The transportation company reported $1.90 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.81 by $0.09, Zacks reports. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a net margin of 4.99% and a return on equity of 16.18%. The firm had revenue of $3.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.10 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.53 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 1.6% on a year-over-year basis.

Here are the key takeaways from J.B. Hunt Transport Services’ conference call:

• J.B. Hunt says it has materially lowered its cost to serve, reporting over $25M of tracked savings in Q4 and a run-rate now above $100M of annualized cost reductions.
• Despite revenue down ~1–2%, Q4 operating income rose ~19% (FY operating income +4%), the company completed a record $923M of share repurchases, kept leverage near 1x, and guided 2026 net CapEx of $600–$800M.
• Management describes the freight market as “fragile”—truckload capacity is exiting and supply elasticity is low—so small demand increases could tighten capacity and pressure margins if sustained.
• Intermodal remains a strategic strength: bid-season wins improved network balance and pricing, leadership is engaged with Class 1 railroads on consolidation scenarios, and pre-funded capacity (including Walmart intermodal assets) positions the company to capture highway-to-intermodal conversions.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ JBHT opened at $204.38 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $188.24 and a 200-day simple moving average of $161.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The company has a market cap of $19.46 billion, a PE ratio of 33.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.27. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a 12 month low of $122.79 and a 12 month high of $209.53.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 7th were issued a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 7th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s dividend payout ratio is 28.66%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO John Kuhlow sold 3,225 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $179.76, for a total transaction of $579,726.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 13,095 shares in the company, valued at $2,353,957.20. This trade represents a 19.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Brian Webb sold 796 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $189.11, for a total value of $150,531.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 15,697 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,968,459.67. The trade was a 4.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 15,109 shares of company stock valued at $2,688,970 in the last 90 days. 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 added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 7.1% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,122,669 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $592,015,000 after purchasing an additional 272,594 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 77.2% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,189,566 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $426,126,000 after purchasing an additional 1,389,723 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 5.4% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,612,262 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $216,317,000 after buying an additional 82,939 shares during the period. UBS Group AG lifted its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 47.1% during the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 824,688 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $110,648,000 after buying an additional 263,965 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd grew its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 338.0% during the third quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 823,089 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $110,434,000 after buying an additional 635,172 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.95% of the company’s stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services announced that its board has initiated a stock buyback program on Wednesday, October 22nd that permits the company to buyback $0.00 in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the transportation company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and margin improvement — JBHT reported EPS above Street estimates and management cited cost reductions that boosted operating profit and net income year‑over‑year, which supports near‑term earnings visibility. J.B. Hunt Q4 Earnings Surpass Estimates, Improve Year Over Year
• Positive Sentiment: Cash generation strengthened and capex moderated — operating cash flow rose materially while capital spending was down versus prior year, improving free‑cash‑flow dynamics that investors often favor. Q4 earnings & cash flow details
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views mixed but some lifts to sentiment — several firms have raised price targets this week (e.g., Truist) and some analysts highlight JBHT’s positioning versus peers, tempering the sell‑side reaction. Analyst ratings and price targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry context: freight demand soft — commentators note trucking peers face weak freight volumes, but JBHT is identified as relatively well‑positioned to navigate the cycle. That limits downside but keeps growth constrained. 3 Truck Stocks Positioned to Navigate Industry Challenges
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue decline and intermodal weakness pressured the stock — Q4 revenue fell ~1.6% (reported as a ~2% decline in coverage) and lower intermodal volumes were flagged, triggering investor concern about demand sustainability. The share price reacted negatively after the release. J.B. Hunt Fourth-Quarter Revenue Falls on Lower Intermodal Sales
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: shares fell after the mixed print — headlines and intraday trading showed a sell‑off as investors prioritized the revenue miss and soft demand over the EPS beat. Shares fall after Q4 revenue decline
• Negative Sentiment: Notable insider selling disclosed in filings — recent insider sales were reported in the quarter, which some investors interpret as a modest negative signal. Insider trading and holdings data

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on JBHT shares. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $169.00 to $187.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Susquehanna raised J.B. Hunt Transport Services from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $160.00 to $240.00 in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Raymond James Financial upped their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Monday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $201.00 price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, J.B. Hunt Transport Services presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $199.68.

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.