Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. Buys New Stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT)

Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 9,967 shares of the transportation company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,701,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. True Wealth Design LLC raised its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2,028.6% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 149 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. National Pension Service acquired a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. BankPlus Trust Department bought a new stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 102.2% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 281 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 68.7% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 329 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.95% of the company’s stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Trading Down 0.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ JBHT opened at $147.05 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $166.52 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $173.16. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.71 billion, a PE ratio of 26.45, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.16. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a one year low of $144.90 and a one year high of $200.40.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 16th. The transportation company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.62 by ($0.09). J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a net margin of 4.72% and a return on equity of 14.05%. The company had revenue of $3.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.13 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.47 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 6.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.20%. This is a positive change from J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 7th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.65%.

Insider Activity at J.B. Hunt Transport Services

In related news, EVP Darren P. Field sold 1,200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.67, for a total value of $194,004.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 17,822 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,881,282.74. This represents a 6.31 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director James K. Thompson sold 4,400 shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.37, for a total transaction of $771,628.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 23,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,131,541.83. This trade represents a 15.74 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

JBHT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Raymond James dropped their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $200.00 to $190.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $195.00 price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Citigroup decreased their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $204.00 to $193.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Truist Financial assumed coverage on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Thursday, March 13th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $165.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $205.00 price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Friday, January 17th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $186.80.

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.