JB Hunt Gets Analysts Talking Post Q3 Report: Jpmorgan Says Most Investors 'Overestimate' How Quickly Margins Can Improve

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News)

• JPMorgan lowered its price target to $283 from $287, maintaining an 'Overweight' rating, while cautioning that investors may overestimate how quickly Intermodal margins can improve.
• Morgan Stanley lowered its price target to $195 from $200 and maintained an 'Underweight' rating.
• JB Hunt's revenue reached $3.68 billion, exceeding Fiscal AI's $3.58 billion estimate, while net earnings edged up to $172.4 million from $170.8 million a year earlier.

JB Hunt (JBHT) shares drew investor attention on Friday after several analysts lowered their price targets following the company's third-quarter earnings, as higher operating costs and margin pressure tempered its strong revenue growth.

According to The Fly, Wells Fargo lowered its price target to $285 from $305 and maintained an 'Overweight' rating. The firm said the third-quarter cost trend was as expected, while the intermodal pricing outlook was better despite slower volume.

Morgan Stanley lowered its price target on the stock to $195 from $200 and maintained an 'Underweight' rating. According to The Fly, analyst Ravi Shanker said the third quarter laid bare cost pressures flagged at the Laguna conference a month earlier, adding that a recovery through pricing would take time and effort.

Meanwhile, JPMorgan lowered its target to $283 from $287 while maintaining an 'Overweight' rating. The firm said the wide discount to truckload is still pulling through record conversion activity, but“most investors continue to overestimate how quickly JBI margins can improve.”

Analyst	Old Price Target	New Price Target
Stephens	$330	$325
Morgan Stanley	$200	$195
Evercore ISI	$277	$275
UBS	$264	$273
JPMorgan	$287	$283
Wells Fargo	$305	$285
Citi	$254	$263
BofA	$302	$295

JB Hunt's Q3 Earnings Highlights

J.B. Hunt reported third-quarter revenue of $3.68 billion, up 20% year over year, beating the $3.58 billion estimate compiled by Fiscal AI. Net earnings edged up to $172.4 million from $170.8 million a year earlier.

The company reported diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.82, up from $1.76 a year earlier, compared with analysts' estimate of $1.80, according to Fiscal AI. However, operating income increased 2% to $247.1 million, while operating margin narrowed to 6.7% from 7.9% a year earlier.

Dedicated Contract Services operating income fell 22% to $81.7 million, driven by higher driver personnel expenses, group medical claims, insurance premiums, equipment costs and new-business onboarding expenses. Final Mile Services operating income declined 76% to $1.6 million, primarily due to lower revenue and higher purchased transportation expenses.

How Retail Views JBHT

Retail sentiment surrounding JBHT on Stocktwits remained in 'Neutral' territory over the past 24 hours, amid 'High' message volumes.

JBHT shares have gained over 18% year-to-date.

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