Citigroup Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) Stock

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) had its price target upped by Citigroup from $254.00 to $263.00 in a report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the transportation company’s stock. Citigroup’s price objective points to a potential upside of 14.96% from the company’s previous close.

Several other research analysts have also commented on the stock. BMO Capital Markets set a $315.00 price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Stephens decreased their price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $330.00 to $325.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $295.00 to $235.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, Benchmark lifted their price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $250.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, J.B. Hunt Transport Services has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $274.12.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Down 2.8%

Shares of JBHT stock traded down $6.53 on Friday, hitting $228.78. The stock had a trading volume of 1,600,444 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,015,322. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a 52-week low of $157.82 and a 52-week high of $299.76. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $252.50 and its 200-day moving average is $259.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 1.26 and a current ratio of 1.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.31.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 15th. The transportation company reported $1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.81 by $0.01. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 18.75% and a net margin of 5.31%. The company had revenue of $3.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.76 EPS. J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s quarterly revenue was up 20.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that J.B. Hunt Transport Services will post 7.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of J.B. Hunt Transport Services

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of JBHT. Aspiriant LLC increased its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 5.5% during the third quarter. Aspiriant LLC now owns 1,230 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $276,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 13.8% during the third quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 2,839 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $636,000 after buying an additional 344 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 130.8% in the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 106,363 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $23,831,000 after purchasing an additional 60,276 shares in the last quarter. Curated Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,182,000. Finally, Strategy Asset Managers LLC bought a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $635,000. 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: Third-quarter revenue increased 20.4% year over year to $3.68 billion, exceeding the $3.59 billion consensus estimate. Intermodal volume growth and stronger pricing supported the top line. J.B. Hunt Q3 Earnings Beat on Intermodal Growth and Strong Pricing
• Positive Sentiment: Reported earnings of $1.82 per share edged past the $1.81 analyst consensus and rose from $1.76 a year earlier. Several analysts remain constructive: JPMorgan maintained an Overweight rating with a $283 target, while Citizens JMP reaffirmed Market Outperform with a $300 target. JPMorgan price target update
• Neutral Sentiment: TD Cowen trimmed its price target to $279 from $283, signaling continued long-term support but a more cautious near-term view. TD Cowen adjusts J.B. Hunt price target
• Negative Sentiment: Operating expenses rose to $3.43 billion, with fuel, driver compensation and insurance costs weighing on profitability. Net margin was 5.31%, and profit growth lagged the much faster revenue growth. J.B. Hunt Reports Higher Profit, Steeper Operating Expenses
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan cautioned that investors may be overestimating how quickly J.B. Hunt’s margins can recover. That outlook, combined with the stock’s strong prior performance, is driving disappointment despite the headline earnings and revenue beats. Analyst commentary on J.B. Hunt margins
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms announced investigations into potential securities claims involving J.B. Hunt, adding a reputational and legal overhang, although no claims have been established. Rosen investor investigation

About J.B. Hunt Transport Services

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.