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JB Hunt (JBHT) Down 1.3% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Rebound?

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A month has gone by since the last earnings report for JB Hunt (JBHT - Free Report) . Shares have lost about 1.3% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is JB Hunt due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.

Earnings Miss at J.B. Hunt in Q2

J.B. Hunt Transport Services' second-quarter 2023 earnings of $1.81 per share missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.97 and declined 25.2% year over year.

Total operating revenues of $3,132.6 million also lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3,347.5 million and fell 18.4% year over year. The downfall was due to decline in revenue per load of 24% in Integrated Capacity Solutions (ICS), 13% in Intermodal (JBI), 21% in Truckload (JBT), and a 4% decline in productivity in Dedicated Capacity Solutions (DCS), on the back of changes in customer rate, freight mix and lower fuel surcharge revenue.

Total operating revenues, excluding fuel surcharges, decreased 14% year over year.

Operating income for the second quarter decreased 23% year over yearto $270.7 million, owing to lower revenue across all of the business segments, lower volume and customer rates.

Net interest expense for the second quarter increased 14% year over yeardue to higher effective interest rates.

Operating expenses fell 17.9% to $2,861.91 million.

On Jan 1, 2023, J.B. Hunt transferred most of JBT’s company-owned trucking operations to DCS and transferred its less-than-truckload brokerage operations from ICS to FMS.

Segmental Highlights

Intermodal division generated quarterly revenues of $1.49 billion, down 19% year over year, owing to a 7% decrease in volume and a 13% decrease in gross revenue per load, resulting from changes in the mix of freight, customer rates, and fuel surcharge revenues. Revenue per load, excluding fuel surcharge revenue, fell 7% year-over-year. Eastern network loads declined 6%, while transcontinental loads fell 8%.

Operating income fell 29%year over yearin the second quarter owing to lower customer rate and volume, and the resulting impact on absorbing network and equipment costs.

Dedicated Contract Services segment revenues fell 2% from the year-ago period to $888 million due to a 4% decrease in productivity (revenue per truck per week) versus the prior period.

Operating income grew 21% year over yeardue to the maturing of new business onboarded over the trailing 12 months. This benefit was partially offset by higher professional driver and non-driver wages and benefits, and equipment-related and maintenance expenses.

Integrated Capacity Solutions revenues decreased 43% year over year to $344 million. Segmental volumes decreased 26%. Revenue per load fell 24% owing to lower contractual and transactional rates and changes in customer freight mix.

JBHT reported an operating loss of $4.4 million against the operating income of $23.2 million in the year-ago quarter. The loss wasowing to lower gross profit, partially offset by lower personnel and insurance-related expenses, and reduced technology costs.

Truckload revenues fell 16% to $192 million. Excluding fuel surcharge revenues, segmental revenues fell 15% primarily owing to 20% decline in revenue per load excluding fuel surcharge revenue partially offset by a 6% increase in load volume. At the second-quarter end, total tractors and trailers were 2,068 and 15,358 compared with the year-ago quarter’s figures of 2,015 and 12,770, respectively.

Operating income fell 81% year over year to $3.8 million due to decline in revenue.

Final Mile Services revenues fell 19% year over year to $224 million due to general weakness in demand across many of the industry verticals served.

Operating income increased 12% year over year on the back of internal efforts to improve revenue quality and managing costs.

Liquidity & Buyback

J.B. Hunt exited the second quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $295.92 million compared with $52.60 million at the end of first-quarter 2023. Long-term debt was $1,195.30 million compared with $991.71million at the end of first-quarter 2023.

Net capital expenditures for the first quarter were $473.94 million compared with $308.96 million in the year-ago period.

In the second quarter of 2023, JBHT purchased almost 315,000 shares for $53 million. As of Jun 30, 2023, JBHT had approximately $467 million remaining under its share repurchase authorization.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?

In the past month, investors have witnessed a downward trend in fresh estimates.

The consensus estimate has shifted -9.57% due to these changes.

VGM Scores

Currently, JB Hunt has a great Growth Score of A, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with a C. Following the exact same course, the stock was allocated a grade of C on the value side, putting it in the middle 20% for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of B. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

Outlook

Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. It's no surprise JB Hunt has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). We expect a below average return from the stock in the next few months.


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