Short Interest in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) Expands By 14.5%

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of October. As of October 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,980,000 shares, an increase of 14.5% from the October 15th total of 1,730,000 shares. Approximately 2.5% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 843,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.3 days.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Price Performance

J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock opened at $182.35 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The stock has a market cap of $18.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.15, a PEG ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $175.60 and a 200 day moving average price of $168.31. J.B. Hunt Transport Services has a 12-month low of $153.12 and a 12-month high of $219.51.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 15th. The transportation company reported $1.49 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.42 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $3.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.04 billion. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a net margin of 4.65% and a return on equity of 13.92%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.80 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that J.B. Hunt Transport Services will post 5.7 earnings per share for the current year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 8th will be given a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 8th. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.94%. J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s payout ratio is currently 31.27%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on JBHT. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $151.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Loop Capital lifted their price target on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $173.00 to $187.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $195.00 price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. Barclays raised their price objective on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $175.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $195.00 target price on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $190.11.

Insider Transactions at J.B. Hunt Transport Services

In other J.B. Hunt Transport Services news, EVP Darren P. Field sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.03, for a total transaction of $525,090.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 14,150 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,476,674.50. This trade represents a 17.49 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Kevin Bracy sold 1,614 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $189.87, for a total transaction of $306,450.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 8,235 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,563,579.45. This trade represents a 16.39 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 8,314 shares of company stock valued at $1,534,052. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in JBHT. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2,028.6% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 149 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 382.1% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 188 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, nVerses Capital LLC purchased a new stake in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the second quarter worth about $32,000. 74.95% of the stock is 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.