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Valued at a market cap of $13.6 billion, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (JBHT) provides surface transportation, delivery, and logistic services. The Lowell, Arkansas-based company offers a wide range of freight transportation services, including intermodal, dedicated contract services, truckload, refrigerated, flatbed, single source, and final mile delivery. It is expected to announce its fiscal Q1 earnings for 2025 after the market closes on Tuesday, Apr. 15.
Prior to this event, analysts project this transportation and logistics company to report a profit of $1.19 per share, down 2.5% from $1.22 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company has missed Wall Street's earnings estimates in three of the last four quarters, while beating the forecasts on another occasion. Its earnings of $1.53 per share in the previous quarter fell short of the consensus estimate by 5.6%.
For the full year, analysts expect JBHT to report EPS of $6.32, up 13.7% from $5.56 in fiscal 2024. Its EPS is expected to further grow 26.3% year over year to $7.98 in fiscal 2026.
Shares of JBHT have declined 30.9% over the past 52 weeks, considerably lagging behind both the S&P 500 Index's ($SPX) 3.6% rise, and the Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLI) marginal gain over the same time frame.
JBHT released its Q4 results on Jan. 16, and its shares plunged 7.4% the following day. The company delivered a mixed performance, with revenue of $3.2 billion, slightly exceeding Wall Street estimates. However, net income of $1.53 per share fell 5.6% short of consensus expectations. Adding to the negatives, despite surpassing revenue forecasts, its total sales declined 4.8% year-over-year, primarily due to a drop in revenue per load in both the intermodal and truckload segments, as well as a decline in average trucks within the dedicated contract services segment.
Wall Street analysts are moderately optimistic about JBHT’s stock, with a "Moderate Buy" rating overall. Among 23 analysts covering the stock, 13 recommend "Strong Buy," one suggests a “Moderate Buy,” and nine advise “Hold.” The company’s average analyst price target of $181.23, indicates a potential upside of 33% from the current levels.
