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

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

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on JBHT. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. 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. Citizens Jmp initiated coverage on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Wednesday. They set a “market perform” rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised 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 note on Thursday. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $200.00 target price (up from $190.00) on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, J.B. Hunt Transport Services has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $286.30.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Performance

Shares of JBHT stock opened at $291.41 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $274.31 and a 200-day moving average of $238.25. The company has a market cap of $27.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a 52 week low of $130.12 and a 52 week high of $299.76.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The transportation company reported $1.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $3.50 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.26 billion. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a net margin of 5.31% and a return on equity of 18.75%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s quarterly revenue was up 19.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.31 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that J.B. Hunt Transport Services will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other J.B. Hunt Transport Services news, EVP Darren P. Field sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $254.49, for a total value of $1,017,960.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,696 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,213,045.04. This trade represents a 31.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Brian Webb sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $284.01, for a total transaction 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. This trade represents a 8.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 18,119 shares of company stock valued at $4,736,095. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On J.B. Hunt Transport Services

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 45.8% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 56,809 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $11,712,000 after acquiring an additional 17,839 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the 2nd quarter valued at $539,000. Merit Financial Group LLC grew its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 48.6% during the fourth quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 13,849 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,692,000 after buying an additional 4,527 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 71.7% during the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 9,684 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,882,000 after acquiring an additional 4,043 shares during the period. Finally, Hudson Bay Capital Management LP bought a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the third quarter valued at $6,435,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.95% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about 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.

About J.B. Hunt Transport Services

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.