Zacks Research Upgrades J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) to Strong-Buy

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) was upgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on JBHT. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $310.00 to $335.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $280.00 to $313.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $290.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $225.00 to $261.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Thursday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $286.30.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Down 2.3%

J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock opened at $291.41 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 1.26 and a current ratio of 1.26. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $274.31 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $238.25. The company has a market cap of $27.48 billion, a PE ratio of 41.28, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.29. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a fifty-two week low of $130.12 and a fifty-two week high of $299.76.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 15th. The transportation company reported $1.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.20. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 18.75% and a net margin of 5.31%.The business had revenue of $3.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.26 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.31 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 19.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that J.B. Hunt Transport Services will post 7.54 EPS for the current year.

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

In related news, EVP Brian Webb sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.01, for a total value of $426,015.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 15,881 shares in the company, valued at $4,510,362.81. The trade was a 8.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Bradley W. Hicks sold 7,644 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.91, for a total transaction of $2,002,040.04. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 23,982 shares in the company, valued at $6,281,125.62. This trade represents a 24.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 18,119 shares of company stock worth $4,736,095. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Summitry LLC lifted its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2.9% during the 1st quarter. Summitry LLC now owns 1,560 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $331,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Keybank National Association OH boosted its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2.7% during the first quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 1,765 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $374,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC grew its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 25.4% in the fourth quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 232 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the period. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund grew its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 0.5% in the first quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 8,622 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,827,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the period. Finally, CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC increased its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 34.3% in the fourth quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 188 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.95% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting J.B. Hunt Transport Services

Here are the key news stories impacting J.B. Hunt Transport Services this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JBHT was added to Zacks’ “Strong Buy” momentum list, signaling improving technical and fundamental momentum. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for July 17th
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised price targets after the earnings beat, including JPMorgan, Robert W. Baird, Barclays, Citigroup, and TD Cowen, reflecting confidence in the recovery and margin improvement.
• Positive Sentiment: Reports highlighted shrinking trucking capacity and a shift toward intermodal freight, which could support stronger pricing and volume trends for JBHT. J.B. Hunt Stock Could Reach $340 as Trucking Capacity Shrinks
• Positive Sentiment: JBHT was also featured on relative-strength and momentum screens, indicating that investors see it as one of the stronger names in a choppy market. 5 Top Stocks With Relative Price Strength to Buy Right Now
• Neutral Sentiment: One Zacks article cautioned that while earnings growth and estimate revisions support the rally, the stock’s premium valuation means investors should remain selective. Is JBHT Stock too Expensive or Still Attractive After Its Rally?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts’ consensus remains constructive, with coverage still centered around a “Moderate Buy” view.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Company Profile

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc is a leading provider of transportation and logistics solutions headquartered in Lowell, Arkansas. The company offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to move freight efficiently across North America, including intermodal, dedicated contract services, full truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), final mile delivery and specialized transport.

In its intermodal segment, J.B. Hunt leverages a network of rail and truck assets to transport containers and trailers on major U.S.