Why J.B. Hunt Stock Dropped Today

Key Points J.B. Hunt shares fell 13.3% on Sept. 16 after warning Q3 earnings would drop 5% to 10% from Q2. Diesel near $6.30 a gallon and $25 million in added driver costs are squeezing near-term margins. 10 stocks we like better than J.B. Hunt Transport Services › J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ: JBHT) shares fell 13.3% on Wednesday, Sept. 16, after the company warned investors that rising diesel and driver costs would reduce third-quarter earnings. The S&P 500 fell 0.44%, and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.01%. Missed AI’s "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 15x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our analysts, we’re only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue » J.B. Hunt expects earnings to fall 5%–10% in the third quarter J.B. Hunt, a major trucking and freight company, told investors that they should expect the company to show reduced earnings in its next quarterly update. That's due to $25 million in "additional driver expenses" and $10 million or more from rising fuel prices. Driver expenses include things like recruiting and training, as well as the signing bonuses drivers often receive. Diesel costs are rising faster than surcharges can adjust The company passes the cost of fuel onto its customers, but the surcharges are delayed. That means J.B. Hunt is left paying the bill until the fees catch up. So, the good news is that these costs are temporary and can work in the opposite direction once diesel prices retreat. Image source: Getty Images. The warning interrupts a strong freight recovery This is really a short-term hit, and long-term investors should look past it. These costs are likely temporary and actually signal rising demand, especially the additional training and recruiting costs. Last quarter, revenue rose 19% year over year to $3.5 billion. However, there's a big asterisk here. If fuel prices don't retreat, trucking could be hit by a slowdown in demand as consumers tighten their belts. Should you buy stock in J.B. Hunt Transport Services right now? Before you buy stock in J.B. Hunt Transport Services, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and J.B. Hunt Transport Services wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $420,109 !* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,303,689 !* Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 938 % — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 211% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor , and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of September 16, 2026. Johnny Rice has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .

J.B. Hunt shares fell 13.3% on Sept. 16 after warning Q3 earnings would drop 5% to 10% from Q2.

Diesel near $6.30 a gallon and $25 million in added driver costs are squeezing near-term margins.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services (NASDAQ: JBHT) shares fell 13.3% on Wednesday, Sept. 16, after the company warned investors that rising diesel and driver costs would reduce third-quarter earnings.

The S&P 500 fell 0.44%, and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.01%.

Missed AI’s "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 15x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our analysts, we’re only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »

J.B. Hunt, a major trucking and freight company, told investors that they should expect the company to show reduced earnings in its next quarterly update. That's due to $25 million in "additional driver expenses" and $10 million or more from rising fuel prices.

Driver expenses include things like recruiting and training, as well as the signing bonuses drivers often receive.