J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) Shares Gap Down After Earnings Miss

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) gapped down prior to trading on Friday following a dissappointing earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $186.20, but opened at $175.00. J.B. Hunt Transport Services shares last traded at $172.59, with a volume of 835,878 shares changing hands.

The transportation company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.62 by ($0.09). J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a net margin of 4.65% and a return on equity of 13.92%. The business had revenue of $3.15 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.13 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.47 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on JBHT. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $205.00 price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Friday. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $195.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $175.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $195.00 target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, TD Cowen cut their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $180.00 to $171.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $191.67.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Darren P. Field sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.50, for a total value of $275,250.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,650 shares in the company, valued at $2,321,275. The trade was a 10.60 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Spencer Frazier sold 2,200 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.21, for a total transaction of $427,262.00. Following the completion of 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 ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 11,459 shares of company stock worth $2,136,277. Corporate insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

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

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Studio Investment Management LLC raised its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC now owns 1,068 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $184,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,133 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $368,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Empirical Finance LLC raised its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Empirical Finance LLC now owns 2,855 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $492,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 18.3% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 388 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $67,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Huntington National Bank increased its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 21.8% during the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 341 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $59,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. 74.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Performance

The stock's 50 day moving average price is $180.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $173.85. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The company has a market cap of $17.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 1.16.

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.