J.B. Hunt Stock: Analysts Trim Price Targets Ahead Of Q3 Earnings As Freight Recovery Remains Supply-Driven

J.B. Hunt heads into its third-quarter earnings report with several analysts recently lowering their price targets.

• Truist, BMO Capital and Citi lowered their price targets while keeping their existing ratings on JBHT. 
• JPMorgan and TD Cowen also cut their targets on Oct. 5, while Susquehanna lowered its target on Oct. 2.
• Analysts cited factors including spot-rate trends, truckload capacity, driver costs and freight demand in their Q3 previews.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) was in focus on Wednesday after multiple analysts lowered their price targets on the stock in research notes previewing the company's third-quarter results.

According to The Fly, Truist, BMO Capital and Citi lowered their price targets on J.B. Hunt, while JPMorgan, TD Cowen and Susquehanna also recently trimmed their targets.

JBHT shares were trading marginally lower at the time of writing on Wednesday.

Truist Cuts Target To $235

Truist lowered its price target on J.B. Hunt to $235 from $295 while maintaining a 'Hold' rating as part of a broader research note previewing Q3 earnings in freight and logistics, according to The Fly. 

The firm said truckload capacity continues to rationalize and spot pricing remains improved compared with earlier in the year. Less-than-truckload pricing has also remained resilient, but Truist said the current recovery remains primarily supply-driven, with earnings leverage likely to emerge as demand improves.

Truist added that its reduced price targets reflect recent compression in valuation multiples. The firm remains constructive on names that can drive earnings through pricing, productivity and self-help.

BMO Maintains 'Outperform' Rating

BMO Capital lowered J.B. Hunt’s price target to $315 from $320 while maintaining an 'Outperform' rating.

BMO said freight fundamentals remain constructive, but the evidence continues to point to a supply-led recovery rather than a broad demand inflection. Tighter truckload capacity is supporting spot rates and pricing per load, while highway-to-rail conversion continues, according to The Fly.

The firm said underlying freight demand remains generally stable and uneven across end markets.

Citi Lowers Target To $254

Citi lowered its price target on J.B. Hunt to $254 from $309 while maintaining a 'Neutral' rating.

The firm said recent declines in transportation stocks have created a more favorable risk/reward setup heading into earnings. 

Citi also said higher fuel prices and rising interest rates are likely to "keep many investors cautious."

Other Analysts Also Trim PTs

On Oct. 5, JPMorgan lowered its price target on J.B. Hunt to $287 from $313 while maintaining an 'Overweight' rating. The firm said the "summer lull" in spot rates would not materially affect contract-rate renewals, which have continued to accelerate and are expected to move higher into 2027. The brokerage also said costs related to driver availability and hiring are starting to climb and could become a challenge for truckload carriers.

TD Cowen lowered its price target to $283 from $297 while maintaining a 'Hold' rating. The firm said spot trends cooled through the third quarter as driver and energy costs built for truckload carriers. TD Cowen also said trucking momentum remains supply-driven as driver safety-related issues work through the courts.

J.B. Hunt Set To Report Q3 Results

J.B. Hunt expects to issue its Q3 2026 earnings at the close of the market on October 15.

Analysts expect J.B. Hunt to report adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.80 and revenue of approximately $3.58 billion for the quarter, according to estimates compiled by Fiscal AI.

How Retail Views JBHT

Retail sentiment surrounding JBHT on Stocktwits remained in ‘Bearish’ territory over the past 24 hours, with a ‘High’ participation level.

JBHT shares have gained over 13% year-to-date.

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