J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) was upgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report released on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on JBHT. Argus set a $285.00 price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Citizens Jmp initiated coverage on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Wednesday. They set a “market perform” rating for the company. Stephens boosted their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $200.00 price target (up from $190.00) on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered J.B. Hunt Transport Services from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, J.B. Hunt Transport Services currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $286.30.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Trading Down 2.3%

Shares of NASDAQ JBHT opened at $291.41 on Thursday. 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 one year low of $130.12 and a one year high of $299.76. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $274.31 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $238.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.48 billion, a PE ratio of 41.28, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.29.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) last posted its quarterly 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. The business had revenue of $3.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.26 billion. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a net margin of 5.31% and a return on equity of 18.75%. The firm’s revenue was up 19.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.31 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that J.B. Hunt Transport Services will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Darren P. Field sold 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $254.49, for a total transaction of $1,017,960.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,696 shares in the company, valued at $2,213,045.04. The trade was a 31.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, COO Nicholas Hobbs sold 1,272 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.75, for a total value of $318,954.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 91,736 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,002,802. This represents a 1.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 18,119 shares of company stock worth $4,736,095. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of J.B. Hunt Transport Services

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of JBHT. Summitry LLC boosted its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2.9% during the first quarter. Summitry LLC now owns 1,560 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $331,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH grew its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2.7% during the 1st quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 1,765 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $374,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 25.4% in the 4th quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 232 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund raised its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 8,622 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,827,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 34.3% in the 4th 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 period. 74.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key J.B. Hunt Transport Services News

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

• Positive Sentiment: JBHT was added to Zacks’ “Strong Buy” momentum list, signaling improving technical and fundamental momentum. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for July 17th
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised price targets after the earnings beat, including JPMorgan, Robert W. Baird, Barclays, Citigroup, and TD Cowen, reflecting confidence in the recovery and margin improvement.
• Positive Sentiment: Reports highlighted shrinking trucking capacity and a shift toward intermodal freight, which could support stronger pricing and volume trends for JBHT. J.B. Hunt Stock Could Reach $340 as Trucking Capacity Shrinks
• Positive Sentiment: JBHT was also featured on relative-strength and momentum screens, indicating that investors see it as one of the stronger names in a choppy market. 5 Top Stocks With Relative Price Strength to Buy Right Now
• Neutral Sentiment: One Zacks article cautioned that while earnings growth and estimate revisions support the rally, the stock’s premium valuation means investors should remain selective. Is JBHT Stock too Expensive or Still Attractive After Its Rally?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts’ consensus remains constructive, with coverage still centered around a “Moderate Buy” view.

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.