Parnassus Investments LLC Has $129.77 Million Holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT)

Parnassus Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT - Free Report) by 14.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 753,005 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 93,213 shares during the period. Parnassus Investments LLC owned 0.75% of J.B. Hunt Transport Services worth $129,765,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of JBHT. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 382.1% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 188 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares during the period. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. nVerses Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the second quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the second quarter worth approximately $36,000. Institutional investors own 74.95% of the company's stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Price Performance

J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock traded down $3.82 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $180.18. The company's stock had a trading volume of 884,155 shares, compared to its average volume of 869,986. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a 52 week low of $153.12 and a 52 week high of $219.51. 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 business has a 50-day moving average price of $175.84 and a 200-day moving average price of $168.44. The stock has a market cap of $18.17 billion, a PE ratio of 33.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 1.14.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 15th. The transportation company reported $1.49 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.07. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 13.92% and a net margin of 4.65%. The firm had revenue of $3.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.04 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.80 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 5.7 EPS for the current year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.43 per share. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services's payout ratio is 31.27%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on JBHT shares. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and set a $195.00 price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $183.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $175.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $195.00 price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, J.B. Hunt Transport Services has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $190.11.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Darren P. Field sold 1,500 shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.50, for a total value of $275,250.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,650 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,321,275. The trade was a 10.60 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Kevin Bracy sold 1,614 shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.87, for a total value of $306,450.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 8,235 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,563,579.45. This represents a 16.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 8,314 shares of company stock valued at $1,534,052. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.