J.B. Hunt Transport Companies’ third quarter barely surpassed analysts’ lowered expectations following the corporate’s earnings warning issued in September.
J.B. Hunt (NASDAQ: JBHT) reported third-quarter income of $3.68 billion Thursday after the market closed. The outcome was forward of a $3.59 billion consensus estimate. Earnings per share of $1.82 had been 1 cent increased than analysts’ revised expectations. (A better tax price was a 4-cent EPS headwind within the quarter, partially offset by a 2-cent decline in web curiosity expense.)
The outcome was barely higher than its September replace, calling for a 5% to 10% sequential decline in EPS, implying $1.77 on the midpoint of the vary. On the time, the corporate flagged near-term price pressures—a pointy runup in diesel costs ($10 million), driver-related prices ($25 million) and elevated cargo claims ($10 million)—as headwinds. The precise affect within the quarter was over $50 million.
The third quarter marked a fifth straight quarter of year-over-year enchancment in working earnings and EPS. The corporate’s earnings turnaround began within the 2025 third quarter, effectively forward of friends.
Intermodal income elevated 20% y/y to $1.83 billion as hundreds had been up 8% and income per load elevated 11%. Larger gasoline costs pushed income increased within the interval. Excluding gasoline, income per load was up 2% y/y. Volumes elevated 18% y/y within the East and 1% on transcontinental lanes. A 3% decline in size of haul, as a consequence of a mixture shift to the East, was a modest headwind to income per load.
The unit booked a 91.9% working ratio (inverse of working margin), which was 15 foundation factors worse y/y. Larger prices (driver personnel, gear and worker advantages) had been a drag within the quarter.
The devoted OR deteriorated 360 bps y/y to 91.5%. Income was up 11% y/y, nearly fully as a consequence of increased income per truck per week (inclusive of gasoline). Income per truck was up simply 3% excluding gasoline. Common trailers in service elevated 11% although load counts grew simply 3%. Larger driver prices, group medical claims, insurance coverage premiums and new account startup prices had been among the many culprits.
The brokerage unit booked a second straight working revenue after 13 quarters within the crimson.
The corporate’s asset-light truckload unit swung to a $7-million working revenue after a modest second-quarter loss.
Shares of JBHT had been down 2.4% in after-hours buying and selling on Thursday. The inventory fell 14% from its mid-September earnings replace to the Thursday shut.
J.B. Hunt will host a name at 5 p.m. EDT on Thursday to debate third-quarter outcomes.
Why it issues? J.B. Hunt’s quarterly outcomes function a bellwether for the intermodal, trucking and logistics industries. The corporate’s third quarter was a modest slowdown after 4 quarters of robust restoration. Nevertheless, a number of the incremental prices that plagued the interval had been seemingly transitory in nature.
Extra BigRig articles by Todd Maiden:
- LTL charges hit new excessive in Q3, transferring increased in This fall
- Cass: TL linehaul charges up 10% in September, cargo counts stay constructive
- Yellow Corp., Teamsters decide on WARN Act claims
The submit First look: J.B. Hunt’s Q3 earnings appeared first on BigRig.