J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) Shares Gap Up on Strong Earnings

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report)'s stock price gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $174.65, but opened at $187.88. J.B. Hunt Transport Services shares last traded at $185.28, with a volume of 540,543 shares trading hands.

The transportation company reported $1.49 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $3.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.04 billion. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 14.77% and a net margin of 4.90%. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.80 EPS.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

JBHT has been the subject of a number of research reports. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $195.00 target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $195.00 target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Wednesday. Bank of America upped their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $188.00 to $196.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $204.00 to $184.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. Finally, Susquehanna increased their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, J.B. Hunt Transport Services has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $186.78.

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

In other J.B. Hunt Transport Services news, Director Persio V. Lisboa purchased 600 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, July 19th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $163.47 per share, with a total value of $98,082.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,594 shares in the company, valued at approximately $587,511.18. This represents a 0.00 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, Director Persio V. Lisboa purchased 600 shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock in a transaction on Friday, July 19th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $163.47 per share, with a total value of $98,082.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 3,594 shares in the company, valued at approximately $587,511.18. This trade represents a 0.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Darren P. Field sold 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.03, for a total transaction of $525,090.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 14,150 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,476,674.50. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of J.B. Hunt Transport Services

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Studio Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 6.6% in the 2nd quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC now owns 1,013 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $162,000 after buying an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Czech National Bank raised its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 0.5% in the first quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 14,347 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $2,859,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 3.7% in the first quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 2,310 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $460,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 19.3% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 593 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $95,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. Finally, Blair William & Co. IL boosted its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 0.3% during the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 36,113 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $7,196,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.95% of the company's stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.21. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $170.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $167.78. The company has a market capitalization of $18.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 1.15.

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.