Securian Asset Management Inc. Lowers Stock Holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT)

Securian Asset Management Inc. lessened its stake in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) by 4.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,175 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 200 shares during the quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services were worth $713,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of JBHT. True Wealth Design LLC raised its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 2,028.6% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 149 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. National Pension Service acquired a new position in shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. BankPlus Trust Department purchased a new position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 102.2% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 281 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in J.B. Hunt Transport Services by 68.7% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 329 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. 74.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup cut their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $204.00 to $193.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 17th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $180.00 to $171.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 17th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $200.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Raymond James reduced their price objective on shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from $200.00 to $190.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Susquehanna upgraded shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services from a “neutral” rating to a “positive” rating and set a $200.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, J.B. Hunt Transport Services presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $188.60.

Insider Transactions at J.B. Hunt Transport Services

In related news, EVP Darren P. Field sold 1,200 shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock in a transaction on Friday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.67, for a total value of $194,004.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 17,822 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,881,282.74. This trade represents a 6.31 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director James K. Thompson sold 4,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.37, for a total value of $771,628.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 23,559 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,131,541.83. This represents a 15.74 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Price Performance

J.B. Hunt Transport Services stock opened at $149.00 on Monday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $168.26 and its two-hundred day moving average is $173.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.16. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. has a 12-month low of $147.00 and a 12-month high of $200.40.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 16th. The transportation company reported $1.53 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.62 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $3.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.13 billion. J.B. Hunt Transport Services had a return on equity of 14.05% and a net margin of 4.72%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.47 EPS. Equities analysts predict that J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. will post 6.37 earnings per share for the current year.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th were paid a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.18%. This is an increase from J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.65%.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Profile

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.