Is Now The Time To Look At Buying J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT)?

Today we're going to take a look at the well-established J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT). The company's stock received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the NASDAQGS over the last few months, increasing to US$198 at one point, and dropping to the lows of US$166. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether J.B. Hunt Transport Services' current trading price of US$171 reflective of the actual value of the large-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

View our latest analysis for J.B. Hunt Transport Services

What's The Opportunity In J.B. Hunt Transport Services?

According to my price multiple model, where I compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average, the stock currently looks expensive. I’ve used the price-to-earnings ratio in this instance because there’s not enough visibility to forecast its cash flows. The stock’s ratio of 19.15x is currently well-above the industry average of 13.92x, meaning that it is trading at a more expensive price relative to its peers. If you like the stock, you may want to keep an eye out for a potential price decline in the future. Since J.B. Hunt Transport Services’s share price is quite volatile, this could mean it can sink lower (or rise even further) in the future, giving us another chance to invest. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market.

What kind of growth will J.B. Hunt Transport Services generate?

Future outlook is an important aspect when you’re looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so let’s also take a look at the company's future expectations. With profit expected to grow by 21% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for J.B. Hunt Transport Services. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? JBHT’s optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading above industry price multiples. At this current price, shareholders may be asking a different question – should I sell? If you believe JBHT should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards the industry PE ratio can be profitable. But before you make this decision, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping tabs on JBHT for some time, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its industry peers, which means it is likely that there is no more upside from mispricing. However, the optimistic prospect is encouraging for JBHT, which means it’s worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing J.B. Hunt Transport Services at this point in time. For example - J.B. Hunt Transport Services has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

If you are no longer interested in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.