Analysts predict drop in J.B. Hunt earnings

J.B. Hunt predicted

to see profit decline

Analysts predict J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. will report a first quarter decline in profit when it releases earnings on Tuesday.

Analysts with Little Rock-based Stephens Inc. estimate the transportation company will post earnings per share of $1.26, down from $1.32 in the same quarter of 2024. Revenue will be $2.90 billion, a slight decrease from the $2.93 billion reported a year ago.

Stephens analysts said intermodal trends have been better in the quarter, with demand proving to be resilient against tariff increases. However, with lingering trade uncertainty and ever changing tariff policy, the analysts said intermodal volume could be choppy in the near term.

On a per segment basis, the company’s intermodal service is predicted to post revenue of $1.42 billion, compared to $1.41 billion in 2024.

The dedicated contract services segment is expected to post revenue of $845 million, down from $851 million posted in the same quarter a year ago.

The company will hold its earnings conference call at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15, with a replay available after the call at investor.jbhunt.com.

Shares of J.B. Hunt closed Friday at $153.57, down $1.09 or 0.70%. The shares have traded between $200.40 and $152.01 in the past 52 weeks.

— Dylan Sherman

Harp’s set to acquire

Mena grocery store

Harps Food Stores plans to acquire an independent grocery store in Mena, the Springdale-based company said Friday.

Harps has entered into a purchase agreement with James Super Save Foods, though the timeline for the completion of the acquisition is pending. The terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

The Mena store is expected to close and then re-open as a Harps later this summer, Harps said.

James Womble, who owns James Super Save Foods, recently told his employees that the store’s operations, employment and day-to-day functions will continue with few changes or interruptions.

“I believe that under Harps’ ownership, the store will continue to thrive,” Womble said.

Kim Eskew, Harps’ chairman and chief executive officer, said the planned acquisition “reflects our commitment to expanding our footprint and providing excellent service in communities across the region.”

Harps is 100% employee-owned and operates 149 stores across Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Oklahoma. As the largest employee-owned company in Arkansas, Harps employs more than 6,500 people.

— Serenah McKay

State index closes

at 876.77, down 8.32

The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, closed Friday at 876.77, down 8.32 points.

The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.