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Lowell, Arkansas-based J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (JBHT) is a prominent transportation and logistics company in the U.S. With a market cap of $17.3 billion, J.B. Hunt plays a crucial role in the logistics sector, offering a wide range of services, including intermodal, dedicated, and truckload transportation solutions, as well as supply chain management.
Companies valued at $10 billion or more are typically classified as "large-cap" stocks, and J.B. Hunt Transport Services is a prime example. The company prioritizes innovation and customer-focused solutions as key pillars of its strategy, delivering customized transportation and logistics services.
JBHT shares are trading 21.8% below their 52-week high of $219.51, which they hit on Feb. 15. Also, the stock has plunged 1.7% over the past three months, compared to the Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI), which posted only marginal declines during the same period.
Over the past six months, JBHT has experienced an 8.6% increase, although its shares have fallen 14.9% over the past year. In contrast, XLI has risen by 9% in the last six months and has gained 18.6% over the past 52 weeks.
JBHT has been trading below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages since mid-December, indicating a recent bearish trend.
On Oct. 15, JBHT posted its Q3 earnings report, and its shares edged up by 3.2% in the following trading session. It reported a profit of $1.49 per share, surpassing Wall Street's expectation of $1.42 per share. The company posted revenue of $3.07 billion, also exceeding analysts' forecasts, which had expected $3.04 billion.
Highlighting the contrast in performance, top rival Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. (KNX) has outperformed JBHT, with an 8.6% gain over the past six months.
Despite JBHT's recent underperformance compared to the industrial sector, analysts are moderately optimistic about its prospects. The stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from 21 analysts in coverage. The mean price target of $191.70 suggests a premium of 11.7% to its current price levels.
