Should I Buy JBHT? JBHT 2026 Analysis

Should You Buy J B Hunt Transport Services Inc (JBHT) Today? Analysis, Price Targets, and 2026 Outlook.

Conclusion

Buy

Latest Price

205.210

1 Day change

0.07%

52 Week Range

212.000

Analysis Updated At

2026/01/29

Buy JBHT now. The stock is holding an overall uptrend (bullish moving-average stack), options positioning is bullish-leaning (puts vs calls below 1), analyst price targets have been moving up with multiple Buy/Positive calls, and the latest quarter shows improving profitability despite slightly lower revenue. For an impatient buyer, the current price (~205) is close to the pivot (205.33) with clear nearby support (~200), making this a reasonable entry rather than waiting for a perfect pullback.

Technical Analysis

Trend/structure: Bullish moving averages (SMA_5 > SMA_20 > SMA_200) indicate the primary trend is up. Momentum: MACD histogram is negative (-1.022) and expanding lower, suggesting a short-term cooling/pullback risk inside that broader uptrend. RSI_6 ~49.7 is neutral, consistent with consolidation rather than an overbought top. Levels: Pivot 205.33 is essentially the current area, so the stock is at a decision point; near support S1 ~199.99 (then S2 ~196.69). Upside resistance levels are R1 ~210.68 and R2 ~213.98. Pattern-based projection provided: ~60% chance of -0.23% next day, +0.89% next week, +5.31% next month—skews positive over the next month even if near-term is choppy. Intellectia Proprietary Trading Signals - [AI Stock Picker](module://ai_stock_pick): No signal on given stock today. - [SwingMax](module://swingmax): No signal on given stock today.

Options Data

Bullish

Open Interest Put-Call Ratio

Bullish

Option Volume Put-Call Ratio

Sentiment: Both open interest P/C (0.61) and volume P/C (0.71) are below 1, which is generally bullish (more call interest/flow than puts). Activity/heat: Today’s option volume (1008) is ~65% of the 30-day average, so sentiment is constructive but not driven by unusually aggressive trading. Volatility: 30D IV ~35.7 vs historical vol ~64.7 suggests options are not pricing extreme near-term fear; IV percentile ~59.6 is mid-range (not cheap, not panic-expensive). Net: options market leans bullish without a high-conviction volume spike.

Technical Summary

Sell

Buy

Positive Catalysts

Analyst sentiment improving: multiple price target raises and an upgrade (Susquehanna to Positive with $240 PT), supporting continued multiple/expectation expansion.
Cycle tailwinds: commentary across notes points to improving truckload contract rates and intermodal volume tailwinds as rail service stays strong.
Shareholder return signal: dividend raised to $0.45 (+2.3%), reinforcing confidence in cash generation.
Profitability trend: Q4 showed strong EPS and net income growth despite modest revenue decline—operating leverage/cost control narrative can continue to rerate the stock.

Neutral/Negative Catalysts

Near-term momentum is weakening: MACD is negative and deteriorating, raising the odds of a pullback toward ~200 support before the next leg higher.
Mixed Street stance: several Neutral/Hold ratings remain, and one downgrade (Vertical Research to Hold) suggests upside may be more incremental from here.
Macro/cycle uncertainty: transport demand and pricing can be sensitive to seasonal spot-rate declines and the timing of contract rate increases (a risk explicitly cited by Neutral-rated coverage).
Revenue trend: Q4 revenue was down YoY (-1.58%), so the bull case relies on margin/cost execution and rate recovery continuing.

Financial Performance

Latest quarter: 2025/Q4. Revenue decreased to ~$3.10B (-1.58% YoY), but profitability improved meaningfully: Net income rose to ~$181.1M (+16.48% YoY) and EPS increased to $1.90 (+24.18% YoY). Gross margin improved to 13.67% (+5.89% YoY). Takeaway: growth is currently margin-led rather than top-line-led, which is supportive for the stock if the rate environment improves and cost discipline holds.

Growth

Profitability

Efficiency

Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends

Recent trend: price targets have been raised broadly through early-to-late January, with a notable upgrade (Susquehanna to Positive, PT $240) and multiple PT raises while maintaining existing stances (BofA Buy PT $227; Benchmark Buy PT $220; Wolfe Outperform PT $214). Several firms remain Neutral/Hold (UBS Neutral PT $196; Stifel Hold PT $201; Bernstein Market Perform PT $195; Goldman Neutral PT $187), and Vertical Research downgraded to Hold (PT $200). Wall Street pros: (1) improving contract rate outlook, (2) intermodal tailwinds/rail service strength, (3) cost control and margin trajectory. Cons: (1) uncertainty on timing/magnitude of pricing upside, (2) investors wanting clearer cost-savings/pricing catalysts, (3) some targets clustered near current price, implying capped upside unless the cycle accelerates. Influential/political trading check: No recent congress trading data available; no politician activity indicated in the provided data. Hedge/insider trend: Neutral for both (no notable recent accumulation or distribution).

22 Analyst Rating

Wall Street analysts forecast JBHT stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for JBHT is 197.77 USD with a low forecast of 150 USD and a high forecast of 240 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.

12 Buy

10 Hold

0 Sell

Moderate Buy

Current: 205.060

Low

150

Averages

197.77

High

240

Current: 205.060

Low

150

Averages

197.77

High

240

Benchmark

Buy

maintain

$212 -> $220

AI Analysis

2026-01-20

Reason

Benchmark

Price Target

$212 -> $220

AI Analysis

2026-01-20

maintain

Buy

Reason

Benchmark raised the firm's price target on J.B. Hunt to $220 from $212 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares. The firm is increasing its estimates and target after J.B. Hunt reported "solid" Q4 EPS above FactSet consensus and the firm's estimate, telling investors that it attribute shares trading lower despite the beat to the stock's strong run-up since November rather than any fundamental disappointment.

UBS

Neutral

maintain

$174 -> $196

2026-01-16

Reason

UBS

Price Target

$174 -> $196

2026-01-16

maintain

Neutral

Reason

UBS raised the firm's price target on J.B. Hunt to $196 from $174 and keeps a Neutral rating on the shares. J.B. Hunt offered constructive 2026 commentary, citing fragile capacity and stable volumes with a still-tight truckload market, though investors may have hoped for clearer signals on cost savings or pricing upside, the analyst says in a research note. The cautious tone appears reasonable given uncertainty around seasonal spot-rate declines and the timing and magnitude of contract rate increases, UBS adds.

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JBHT Should I Buy

JBHT Should I Buy

Should You Buy J B Hunt Transport Services Inc (JBHT) Today? Analysis, Price Targets, and 2026 Outlook.

Technical Analysis

Options Data

Technical Summary

Positive Catalysts

Neutral/Negative Catalysts

Financial Performance

Growth

Profitability

Efficiency

Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends

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