J.B. Hunt’s shares jump 12% on Q3 earnings beat

Core Insights - J.B. Hunt Transport Services reported third-quarter results that exceeded expectations, leading to an 11.9% increase in shares during after-hours trading [1] - The company achieved consolidated revenue of $3.05 billion, slightly above the consensus estimate of $3.02 billion, remaining roughly flat year over year [1] Financial Performance - Operating income increased by 8% year over year, while earnings per share rose by 18% to $1.76, surpassing analysts' expectations by 30 cents [2] - A lower tax rate contributed a 3-cent benefit to the earnings per share result [2] Key Performance Indicators - Margins improved across J.B. Hunt's intermodal, dedicated, and brokerage segments, although final mile and truckload segments experienced modest declines [3] - Intermodal revenue decreased by 2% year over year, with both loads and revenue per load improving by 3% sequentially [3] - The intermodal segment reported a 91.8% operating ratio, which is 100 basis points better than the same quarter last year and 150 basis points better than the previous quarter [3] Segment Performance - Dedicated revenue increased by 2% year over year, driven by a 3% rise in revenue per truck per week, despite a slight decline in average truck count [4] - The dedicated segment recorded an operating ratio of 87.9%, which is 80 basis points better year over year and 100 basis points better sequentially [4] - Operating losses in the brokerage operations narrowed to $752,000 during the quarter [4]