Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. Grows Stock Holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT)

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) by 28.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,495 shares of the transportation company’s stock after acquiring an additional 330 shares during the quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.’s holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services were worth $255,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. True Wealth Design LLC raised its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2,028.6% in the third 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 in the last quarter. National Pension Service bought a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. BankPlus Trust Department purchased a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 102.2% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 281 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 68.7% during the fourth 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 during the period. Institutional investors own 74.95% of the company’s stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Trading Down 3.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ:JBHT opened at $146.12 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $144.34 and a 52-week high of $200.40. The stock 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. The business has a 50-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 issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 16th. The transportation company reported $1.53 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.62 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $3.15 billion during 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%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s quarterly revenue was down 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.47 EPS. Equities analysts predict that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 6.37 EPS 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 given a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. This is an increase from J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.20%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s payout ratio is currently 31.65%.

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

In other J.B. Hunt Transport Services news, EVP Darren P. Field sold 1,200 shares of the business’s 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director James K. Thompson sold 4,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 21st. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $4,131,541.83. This represents a 15.74 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. TD Cowen dropped their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $180.00 to $171.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $205.00 price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Truist Financial started coverage on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Thursday, March 13th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $165.00 target price for the company. Citigroup lowered 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 report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Friday, March 7th. They set a “hold” rating and a $167.00 price objective for the company. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $184.05.

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.