TD Cowen Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) Stock

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) had its price objective boosted by research analysts at TD Cowen from $265.00 to $297.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage presently has a “hold” rating on the transportation company’s stock. TD Cowen’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 1.92% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on JBHT. Morgan Stanley reissued an “underweight” rating and issued a $200.00 price objective (up from $190.00) on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Monday, July 6th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $221.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday. Argus set a $285.00 price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Stephens increased their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Susquehanna raised their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $290.00 to $326.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Tuesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $286.30.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Stock Down 2.3%

Shares of NASDAQ JBHT opened at $291.41 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $27.48 billion, a PE 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. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $274.31 and a 200 day moving average price of $238.25.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 15th. The transportation company reported $1.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.20. The firm 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 return on equity of 18.75% and a net margin of 5.31%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 19.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.31 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that J.B. Hunt Transport Services will post 7.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 8,696 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,213,045.04. This trade represents a 31.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Brian Webb sold 1,500 shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 15,881 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,510,362.81. The trade was a 8.63% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 18,119 shares of company stock worth $4,736,095 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 2.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On J.B. Hunt Transport Services

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JBHT. State Street Corp increased its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 7.1% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,122,669 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $592,015,000 after purchasing an additional 272,594 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 3,982,720 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $843,937,000 after buying an additional 41,887 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 17.7% in the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,755,171 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $729,780,000 after buying an additional 565,605 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 5.4% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,612,262 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $216,317,000 after buying an additional 82,939 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the fourth quarter worth $200,587,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.95% of the company’s stock.

Key J.B. Hunt Transport Services News

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.