Start here if you're new
what it is
It moves freight with trucks, trains, and dedicated fleets across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
how it gets paid
Last year J.B. Hunt Transport made $12.0B in revenue.
why growth slowed
Revenue fell 0.7% last year. Overall, it was a challenging 12-month campaign, with underwhelming demand for freight shipping services hurting revenue growth.
what just happened
J.B. Hunt posted $1.90 in EPS versus $1.76 expected, a 7.95% beat.
At a glance
B++ balance sheet — above average — nothing keeping you up at night
70/100 earnings predictability — reasonably predictable
34.6x trailing p/e — you're paying up for this one
0.9% dividend yield — cash in your pocket every quarter
17.5% return on capital — nothing to write home about
xvary composite: 76/100 — average
What they do
It moves freight with trucks, trains, and dedicated fleets across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
You do not swap a freight network overnight. JBHT owns over 20,000 tractors and 122,272 trailers and containers, so your freight rides on a system with real scale. Return on capital (profit on money invested) is 17.5%, while labor costs (payroll) eat 26.7% of revenue. That is the whole trick.
How they make money
$12.0B
annual revenue · revenue declined -0.7% last year
total revenue
$12.0B
0.7%
The products that matter
rail and truck freight transport
Intermodal
$12.0B revenue base
it's the operating core investors keep coming back to, and recent pressure matters: reduced transcontinental shipments and a 3% Q4 intermodal revenue decline tell you recovery is not here yet.
core
Key numbers
$12.0B
annual revenue
At $12.0B, a 3% revenue swing is about $360M. That is a real freight cycle, not background noise.
34.6x
trailing p/e
You pay 34.6 dollars for 1 dollar of annual earnings. That leaves little room for a freight stumble.
17.5%
return on capital
Every $100 invested is earning $17.50 in operating profit. That is why this asset-heavy model still works.
$767M
long-term debt
Debt is 4% of capital, so the balance sheet is not the first problem.
Financial health
B++
strength
- balance sheet grade B++ — above average financial health
- risk rank 3 — safer than 50% of stocks
- price stability 70 / 100
- long-term debt $767M (4% of capital)
- net profit margin 6.5% — keeps 6 cents of every dollar in revenue
- return on equity 26% — $0.26 profit for every $1 investors have put in
B++ — functional but not a standout on the balance sheet.
Total return vs. market
You invested $10,000 in JBHT 3 years ago → it's now worth $11,050.
The index would have given you $13,880.
source: institutional data · total return
What just happened
beat estimates
J.B. Hunt posted $1.90 in EPS versus $1.76 expected, a 7.95% beat.
EDGAR lists latest-quarter revenue at $8.9B. Wall Street expected $1.76 in EPS and got $1.90, while the company also shows a conflicting $4.24 EPS figure in the filing data.
$8.9B
revenue
$1.90
eps
7.95%
surprise
the number that mattered
The 7.95% EPS beat mattered most because it showed the quarter cleared a low bar, even with freight still under pressure.
-
j.b.
-
hunt transport services posted mixed results in 2025.overall, it was a challenging 12-month campaign, with underwhelming demand for freight shipping services hurting revenue growth. stubborn inflation for prices of goods and the implementation of tariffs on many goods coming from overseas were the primary culprits.
-
j.b.hunt’s intermodal division, the company’s largest business, was hurt by reduced transcontinental shipments from ports on the east and west coasts.
-
this was again evident in the final quarter of the year, with intermodal revenue falling 3%.
-
that said, the company was able to deliver a full-year bottom-line advance of 10%, to $6.12 a share, with efficiency initiatives and a more-balanced network leading to fewer empty container shipments over the course of the year.the longer transcontinental trips in the intermodal division benefited from the more balanced shipping approach.
source: company earnings report, 2026
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What could go wrong
the #1 risk is intermodal volume and freight demand softness.
high
freight demand stays weak
revenue already fell 0.7% last year because shipping demand was underwhelming. this company needs freight moving, not just cost cuts.
another soft year would pressure the full $12.0B revenue base.
med
intermodal volume pressure lasts longer
management flagged reduced transcontinental shipments from coastal ports, and Q4 intermodal revenue fell 3%. that's a direct hit to the segment investors care about most.
if the biggest business keeps shrinking, margin recovery gets harder to defend.
med
the valuation is already asking for a rebound
the stock trades at 34.6x trailing earnings, while the street's midpoint sits at $193 versus the current $211.71 price. you're paying for improvement before improvement is obvious.
if EPS misses the $7.20 estimate, the multiple has room to compress.
these risks are linked: a soft freight market hits the $12.0B revenue base, and the market is already valuing JBHT as if recovery is close.
source: institutional data · regulatory filings · risk analysis
Pay attention to
metric
intermodal revenue trend
Q4 intermodal revenue fell 3%. if that line turns positive, the core thesis improves fast.
earnings
next earnings report
you want to hear whether shipment volumes from coastal ports are recovering or still stuck.
trend
FY2026 revenue outlook
the current $12B estimate implies stabilization, not growth. any cut tells you the freight cycle is still dragging.
risk
EPS support for the premium multiple
at roughly 29.4x forward earnings, the stock needs that $7.20 EPS estimate to hold up.
Analyst rankings
short-term outlook
top 5%
momentum score 1 is the highest rating. in human-speak, analysts think the stock has unusually strong near-term performance potential.
risk profile
average
stability score 3 means you're not buying a bunker stock, but you're not buying a disaster either.
chart momentum
average
technical score 3 says the chart is fine, not screaming. the setup is respectable, not magical.
earnings predictability
70 / 100
you can model this business, but freight cycles still create surprises. don't confuse consistency with immunity.
source: institutional data
Institutional activity
institutions have been net buying for 2 consecutive quarters — 309 buyers vs. 275 sellers in 3q2025. total institutional holdings: 71.9M shares. net buying for 2 quarters.
source: institutional data
Price targets
3-5 year target range
$123
$262
$212
current price
$193
target midpoint · 9% from current · 3-5yr high: $335 (+60% · 13% ann'l return)
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