J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) Downgraded by Susquehanna to Neutral

Susquehanna downgraded shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) from a positive rating to a neutral rating in a research report report published on Wednesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has $165.00 price objective on the transportation company’s stock, down from their prior price objective of $200.00.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on JBHT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $205.00 to $200.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $167.00 to $161.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 15th. Truist Financial began coverage on J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Thursday, March 13th. They set a “hold” rating and a $165.00 price target on the stock. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $180.00 to $171.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, 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. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $184.05.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Trading Down 3.1 %

Shares of JBHT stock opened at $146.12 on Wednesday. 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 has a market cap of $14.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.28, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.16. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a 1 year low of $144.34 and a 1 year high of $200.40. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $162.28 and a 200-day moving average price of $172.08.

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

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.20%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. This is a positive change from J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 31.65%.

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

In other J.B. Hunt Transport Services news, Director James K. Thompson sold 4,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owns 23,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,131,541.83. This trade represents a 15.74 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Darren P. Field sold 1,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.67, for a total value of $194,004.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 17,822 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,881,282.74. This represents a 6.31 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 2.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On J.B. Hunt Transport Services

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. 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 valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. National Pension Service bought a new position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. BankPlus Trust Department purchased a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in 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 buying an additional 142 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in 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 valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. 74.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.