Hub Group (NASDAQ:HUBG) Shares Gap Up After Analyst Upgrade

Hub Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HUBG) shares gapped up prior to trading on Monday after Robert W. Baird upgraded the stock from a neutral rating to an outperform rating. The stock had previously closed at $25.76, but opened at $26.52. Robert W. Baird now has a $29.00 price target on the stock. Hub Group shares last traded at $26.26, with a volume of 134,480 shares changing hands.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Hub Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Hub Group from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, September 21st. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated a “negative” rating and set a $28.00 price objective (down from $35.00) on shares of Hub Group in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Barclays set a $30.00 price objective on shares of Hub Group and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Raymond James Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Hub Group from $48.00 to $40.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, September 17th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Hub Group presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $40.67.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of HUBG. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Hub Group by 7.1% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 7,446,774 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $326,094,000 after buying an additional 491,130 shares during the period. Edgestream Partners L.P. acquired a new stake in Hub Group during the first quarter worth about $8,069,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its stake in Hub Group by 2,065.9% during the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 146,672 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $5,286,000 after acquiring an additional 139,900 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in Hub Group by 88.2% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 205,885 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $7,420,000 after acquiring an additional 96,489 shares during the last quarter. Finally, River Road Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Hub Group by 6.6% in the fourth quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC now owns 1,320,784 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $56,279,000 after acquiring an additional 81,764 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 46.77% of the company’s stock.

Hub Group Price Performance

The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $35.96 and its 200-day simple moving average is $40.56. The stock has a market cap of $1.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.38 and a beta of 1.24.

Hub Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st were issued a $0.1250 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 21st. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Hub Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.90%.

About Hub Group

Hub Group, Inc (NASDAQ: HUBG) is a North American transportation and logistics company headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois. The company helps businesses move goods through a combination of intermodal, truckload, less-than-truckload, final-mile and other transportation services.

Hub Group’s intermodal operations coordinate freight shipments using rail and trucks, while its brokerage business connects shippers with third-party transportation providers. The company also provides dedicated transportation, managed transportation, logistics, warehousing and supply chain solutions designed to support customers’ domestic freight and distribution needs.

Founded in 1971, Hub Group serves customers throughout the United States and maintains transportation capabilities extending into Canada and Mexico.