KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Makes New Investment in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 27,995 shares of the transportation company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,778,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of JBHT. iA Global Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2.6% in the third quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,133 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $368,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,097 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $878,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 8.0% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 820 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $140,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 18.6% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 535 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $92,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 33.9% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 340 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the period. 74.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:JBHT opened at $149.95 on Wednesday. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a 12 month low of $144.34 and a 12 month high of $200.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $164.22 and its 200 day moving average price is $172.56.

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

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a $0.44 dividend. This is an increase from J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 31.65%.

Insider Activity

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

JBHT has been the topic of a number of research reports. UBS Group decreased their price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $211.00 to $196.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $205.00 target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Bank of America dropped their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $189.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 17th. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $204.00 to $193.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $180.00 to $171.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 17th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $186.80.

About J.B. Hunt Transport Services

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.