Zacks Research Issues Optimistic Forecast for JBHT Earnings

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) – Zacks Research boosted their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report issued on Wednesday, October 29th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the transportation company will post earnings of $1.41 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $1.34. The consensus estimate for J.B. Hunt Transport Services’ current full-year earnings is $6.37 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for J.B. Hunt Transport Services’ Q1 2027 earnings at $1.48 EPS.

A number of other analysts also recently commented on JBHT. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Benchmark boosted their price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $164.00 price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $166.30.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ JBHT opened at $166.64 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.88, a PEG ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 1.24. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a one year low of $122.79 and a one year high of $200.40. The company’s fifty day moving average is $145.43 and its two-hundred day moving average is $143.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.87.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 15th. The transportation company reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.46 by $0.30. The firm had revenue of $3.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.02 billion. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 15.16% and a net margin of 4.75%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.49 earnings per share.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 21st. Investors of record on Friday, November 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 7th. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.50%.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, October 22nd that permits the company to repurchase $0.00 in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the transportation company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at J.B. Hunt Transport Services

In other news, EVP Eric Mcgee acquired 1,148 shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 4th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $140.76 per share, with a total value of $161,592.48. Following the completion of the purchase, the executive vice president owned 7,397 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,041,201.72. This represents a 18.37% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Darren P. Field sold 6,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.00, for a total transaction of $1,098,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 12,976 shares in the company, valued at $2,192,944. The trade was a 33.37% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 2.30% of the company’s stock.

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

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 13.1% during the first quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 10,467 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,529,000 after purchasing an additional 1,209 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas purchased a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the first quarter worth approximately $1,746,000. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 22.4% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 656 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $97,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 8.1% in the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,596 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $976,000 after buying an additional 494 shares during the period. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 222.1% in the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 21,914 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $3,147,000 after buying an additional 15,111 shares during the period. 74.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.