J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) Sets New 52-Week Low Following Analyst Downgrade

Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Tuesday after Bank of America lowered their price target on the stock from $189.00 to $170.00. Bank of America currently has a buy rating on the stock. J.B. Hunt Transport Services traded as low as $146.69 and last traded at $146.69, with a volume of 268442 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $149.46.

Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on JBHT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $205.00 to $200.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Raymond James reduced their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $200.00 to $190.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Evercore ISI lowered their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $207.00 to $202.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 17th. UBS Group dropped their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $211.00 to $196.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $204.00 to $193.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 17th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $186.80.

Insider Buying and Selling at J.B. Hunt Transport Services

In related news, EVP Darren P. Field sold 1,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.67, for a total transaction of $194,004.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 17,822 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,881,282.74. The trade was a 6.31 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director James K. Thompson sold 4,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.37, for a total value of $771,628.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 23,559 shares in the company, valued at $4,131,541.83. This trade represents a 15.74 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On J.B. Hunt Transport Services

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. True Wealth Design LLC grew its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2,028.6% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 149 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. National Pension Service acquired a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. BankPlus Trust Department acquired a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 102.2% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 281 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 68.7% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 329 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.95% of the company’s stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Trading Down 1.6 %

The business has a 50-day moving average price of $167.13 and a 200-day moving average price of $173.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.46, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.16.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 16th. The transportation company reported $1.53 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.62 by ($0.09). J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 14.05% and a net margin of 4.72%. The business had revenue of $3.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.13 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.47 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 6.37 earnings per share for the current year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th were paid a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 7th. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.20%. This is a boost from J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s payout ratio is presently 31.65%.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Company Profile

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc provides surface transportation, delivery, and logistic services in the United States. It operates through five segments: Intermodal (JBI), Dedicated Contract Services (DCS), Integrated Capacity Solutions (ICS), Final Mile Services (FMS), and Truckload (JBT). The JBI segment offers intermodal freight solutions.