J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) Short Interest Update

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 2,836,537 shares, a drop of 22.8% from the December 15th total of 3,673,572 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 822,137 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.5 days. Currently, 3.0% of the company’s shares are short sold. Currently, 3.0% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 822,137 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.5 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently issued reports on JBHT shares. Raymond James Financial increased their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus set a $201.00 price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research note on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $227.00 price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $155.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $199.68.

Insider Activity at J.B. Hunt Transport Services

In other news, CAO John Kuhlow sold 3,225 shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $179.76, for a total transaction of $579,726.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 13,095 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,353,957.20. The trade was a 19.76% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP David Keefauver sold 1,588 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.29, for a total value of $300,592.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 550 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $104,109.50. The trade was a 74.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 15,109 shares of company stock valued at $2,688,970 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 2.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Cromwell Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 52.2% in the 3rd quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 207 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA grew its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 57.8% during the 2nd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 202 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the period. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its holdings in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 41.5% during the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 225 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 52.8% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 220 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the period. 74.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Price Performance

J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock traded down $2.14 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $204.38. 2,760,727 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 771,713. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.87. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a 12-month low of $122.79 and a 12-month high of $209.53. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $188.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $161.88. The company has a market capitalization of $19.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.29, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.27.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 15th. The transportation company reported $1.90 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.81 by $0.09. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a net margin of 4.99% and a return on equity of 16.18%. The firm had revenue of $3.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.10 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.53 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that J.B. Hunt Transport Services will post 6.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, October 22nd that allows the company to repurchase $0.00 in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the transportation company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 7th were paid a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 7th. J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s payout ratio is presently 28.66%.

More J.B. Hunt Transport Services News

Here are the key news stories impacting J.B. Hunt Transport Services this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and margin improvement — JBHT reported EPS above Street estimates and management cited cost reductions that boosted operating profit and net income year‑over‑year, which supports near‑term earnings visibility. J.B. Hunt Q4 Earnings Surpass Estimates, Improve Year Over Year
• Positive Sentiment: Cash generation strengthened and capex moderated — operating cash flow rose materially while capital spending was down versus prior year, improving free‑cash‑flow dynamics that investors often favor. Q4 earnings & cash flow details
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views mixed but some lifts to sentiment — several firms have raised price targets this week (e.g., Truist) and some analysts highlight JBHT’s positioning versus peers, tempering the sell‑side reaction. Analyst ratings and price targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry context: freight demand soft — commentators note trucking peers face weak freight volumes, but JBHT is identified as relatively well‑positioned to navigate the cycle. That limits downside but keeps growth constrained. 3 Truck Stocks Positioned to Navigate Industry Challenges
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue decline and intermodal weakness pressured the stock — Q4 revenue fell ~1.6% (reported as a ~2% decline in coverage) and lower intermodal volumes were flagged, triggering investor concern about demand sustainability. The share price reacted negatively after the release. J.B. Hunt Fourth-Quarter Revenue Falls on Lower Intermodal Sales
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: shares fell after the mixed print — headlines and intraday trading showed a sell‑off as investors prioritized the revenue miss and soft demand over the EPS beat. Shares fall after Q4 revenue decline
• Negative Sentiment: Notable insider selling disclosed in filings — recent insider sales were reported in the quarter, which some investors interpret as a modest negative signal. Insider trading and holdings data

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Company Profile

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.