Franklin Resources Inc. Has $254.65 Million Stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT)

Franklin Resources Inc. trimmed its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) by 37.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,451,297 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 867,858 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned 1.44% of J.B. Hunt Transport Services worth $254,645,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in JBHT. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake 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. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the second quarter worth about $31,000. nVerses Capital LLC acquired a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the 2nd quarter valued at about $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.95% of the company's stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Down 0.8 %

J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock traded down $1.36 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $179.79. 537,959 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 856,116. The company has a market cap of $18.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.69, a P/E/G ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 1.15. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a twelve month low of $153.12 and a twelve month high of $219.51. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The company has a fifty day moving average of $181.39 and a 200-day moving average of $171.07.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 15th. The transportation company reported $1.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.42 by $0.07. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a net margin of 4.65% and a return on equity of 13.92%. The business had revenue of $3.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.80 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 5.7 EPS for the current year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 8th were issued a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 8th. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.96%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's dividend payout ratio is presently 31.27%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on JBHT. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $204.00 to $227.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $183.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $193.00 to $189.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $188.00 to $196.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $195.00 target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $190.11.

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

In other J.B. Hunt Transport Services news, CEO Shelley Simpson sold 6,000 shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.47, for a total transaction of $1,100,820.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 82,264 shares of the company's stock, valued at $15,092,976.08. The trade was a 6.80 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Spencer Frazier sold 2,200 shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.21, for a total transaction of $427,262.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 4,050 shares in the company, valued at $786,550.50. This represents a 35.20 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 11,459 shares of company stock worth $2,136,277. 2.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.