J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc.’s (JBHT) consistent efforts to reward its shareholders through dividend payments and share repurchases look encouraging. Concurrent with the fourth quarter of 2023 earnings release, JBHT’s board of directors approved a dividend hike of 2%, thereby raising its quarterly cash dividend to 43 cents from 42 cents per share. The raised dividend was paid on Feb 23, 2024, to all its shareholders of record as of Feb 9. The move reflects JBHT’s intention to utilize free cash to enha ...

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) announced that Shelley Simpson, who has been associated with the company for a long time, has been promoted to the position of chief executive officer. The elevation is part of the succession plan, laid out by the trucking company for its top leadership.Simpson is hugely experienced, being associated with the company for nearly 30 years. Notably, she has been serving as the company’s president since Aug 1, 2022. Moreover, Kirk Thompson, current executive chairman of JBHT’ ...

LOWELL, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. (NASDAQ: JBHT), one of the largest supply chain solutions providers in North America, announced today the appointment of Shelley Simpson as chief executive officer and president of the company, along with her nomination for election to the company’s Board of Directors. Simpson has served as the company’s president since August 1, 2022. The company also announced that Kirk Thompson, current executive chairman of the Board, along with Wayne Gar ...

Revenue Performance - Total consolidated operating revenues decreased 13.4% to $12.83 billion in 2023, compared to $14.81 billion in 2022[116]. - Fuel surcharge revenues decreased 23.9% to $1.85 billion in 2023, compared to $2.43 billion in 2022[116]. - Operating revenue for the JBI segment was $6.208 billion in 2023, down from $7.022 billion in 2022[123]. - Total segment revenues were $12.848 billion in 2023, compared to $14.848 billion in 2022[123]. - JBI segment revenue decreased 12% to $6.21 billion in 2023, down from $7.02 billion in 2022, primarily due to an 11% decrease in revenue per load and a 1% decrease in load volume[125]. - DCS segment revenue increased 1% to $3.54 billion in 2023, with productivity defined as revenue per truck per week decreasing by 1%[127]. - ICS segment revenue decreased 40% to $1.39 billion in 2023, with overall volumes down 26% and revenue per load down 20%[129]. - FMS segment revenue decreased 12% to $918 million in 2023, mainly due to decreased customer demand[131]. - JBT segment revenue decreased 16% to $789 million in 2023, with a 19% decrease in revenue per load excluding fuel surcharges[134]. Operating Income - Consolidated operating expenses decreased 12.2% from 2022, resulting in a 2023 operating ratio of 92.3% compared to 91.0% in 2022[117]. - Operating income for the total segments decreased to $993 million in 2023 from $1.332 billion in 2022[123]. - Operating income for the JBI segment fell to $569 million in 2023 from $800 million in 2022, attributed to decreased revenue and increased costs[126]. - Operating income for the DCS segment rose to $405 million in 2023 from $361 million in 2022, driven by maturing long-term customer contracts[128]. - ICS segment reported an operating loss of $44 million in 2023 compared to operating income of $57 million in 2022, primarily due to decreased revenue and integration costs from the BNSFL acquisition[130]. - Operating income for the FMS segment increased to $47 million in 2023 from $37 million in 2022, attributed to improvements in revenue quality and cost management[133]. - Operating income for the JBT segment decreased to $16 million in 2023 from $77 million in 2022, driven by decreased revenue and increased costs[135]. Expenses and Costs - Rents and purchased transportation costs decreased 20.6% in 2023, primarily due to lower rates and decreased load volume[118]. - Salaries, wages, and employee benefits decreased 3.4% in 2023, attributed to lower headcounts and incentive compensation[118]. - Net interest expense increased by 16.2% in 2023 due to higher effective interest rates and increased average debt balance[122]. - Income tax expense decreased 33.8% in 2023, primarily due to decreased taxable earnings and a discrete benefit from a tax position settlement[122]. Cash Flow and Investments - Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $1.74 billion in 2023, a decrease from $1.78 billion in 2022, mainly due to decreased earnings of approximately $241 million[155]. - Net cash used in investing activities increased to $1.69 billion in 2023 from $1.55 billion in 2022, primarily due to higher equipment purchases[156]. - The company is committed to spend approximately $868 million on equipment acquisitions during 2024 and 2025, with an additional $381 million thereafter[164]. - At December 31, 2023, the company had a cash balance of $53.3 million and an outstanding balance of $130 million on the revolving line of credit[160]. Dividends and Interest Rate Impact - The company paid a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share in 2023, with an increase to $0.43 announced for 2024[158]. - A one-percentage-point increase in the applicable interest rate would reduce annual pretax earnings by $6.3 million, based on current borrowing levels[165].

The Zacks Transportation - Truck industry currently stands to benefit from the solid investor-friendly steps adopted by the industry players.Consistent shareholder-friendly initiatives in the form of dividend payouts or share buybacks imply the solid financial strength of companies in the trucking industry.  Dividend-paying stocks provide a solid income stream and have fewer chances of experiencing wild price swings. These stocks are safe bets for creating wealth, as the payouts generally act as a hedge aga ...

LOWELL, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. (NASDAQ: JBHT), one of the largest supply chain solutions providers in North America, announced today that its subsidiary, J.B. Hunt Transport Inc., has entered into a multi-year intermodal service agreement with Walmart, in an arrangement that includes J.B. Hunt’s purchase of Walmart’s intermodal assets. The strategic service agreement increases the companies’ respective current volume and capacity commitments and enables the development of ...

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc.(JBHT) fourth-quarter 2023 revenues of $3,303.70 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3,236.2 million but fell 9.5% year over year. Total operating revenues, excluding fuel surcharge revenue, fell 6% year over year. The downfall was due to a 12% and 7% decline in volume in Integrated Capacity Solutions (ICS) and Truckload (JBT), respectively, and a 10% and 13% decline in revenue per load excluding fuel surcharge revenue in Intermodal (JBI) and JBT, respectivel ...

Tempura/E+ via Getty ImagesSummary Following my coverage of J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ:JBHT), for which I recommended a buy rating due to my expectation that the downcycle for JBHT is likely to be over and that it should see positive volume growth ahead, this post is to provide an update on my thoughts on the business and stock. I remain positive about the JBHT recovery trajectory, as can be seen in the intermodal [IM] segment volume performance. As volume increases, positive pricing growth sh ...

LOWELL, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: JBHT) President Shelley Simpson and Executive Vice President of People and President of Highway Services Brad Hicks will address Citi’s 2024 Global Industrial Tech and Mobility Conference at 8:50 a.m. EST on February 20, 2024, and the Barclays 41st Annual Industrial Select Conference at 11:30 a.m. EST on February 21, 2024. President Shelley Simpson and Executive Vice President and President of Intermodal Darren Field will address Ra ...

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc.’s (JBHT) fourth-quarter 2023 earnings per share of $1.47 missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.74 and declined 23.4% year over year.Total operating revenues of $3,303.70 million surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3,236.2 million but fell 9.5% year over year. Total operating revenues, excluding fuel surcharge revenue, decreased approximately 6% year over year. The downfall was due to a 12% and 7% decline in volume in Integrated Capacity Solutions (ICS) and Truck ...