J.B. Hunt to release third-quarter results
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. is scheduled to publish third quarter 2021 earnings results today before the stock market opens.
Hunt is expected to meet or barely miss Wall Street estimates because of network congestion and other challenges facing the transportation industry. Justin Long, a Stephens analyst, said in a research brief that a strong intermodal pricing backdrop and tight capacity will bring some upside.
Stephens has lowered its quarterly estimate by 3 cents to $1.77 per share, but is optimistic about J.B. Hunt in the coming years.
The Lowell-based trucking and logistics firm is scheduled to hold a conference call today at 9 a.m. to discuss the results and answer questions from investors. Dial 1-833-397-0851 to participate in the call using conference ID: 1065188.
J.B. Hunt shares rose more than 2%, or $3.88, to close Thursday at $175.24 on the Nasdaq stock exchange.
-- Nathan Owens
Worker scarcity hits Domino's earnings
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Domino's, a company seemingly tailor-made for a pandemic, has not been spared from a phenomenon plaguing almost every employer this summer: A severe shortage of workers.
The world's largest pizza chain has been a star on Wall Street this year with revenue soaring as millions sheltered at home and ordered a lot of pizza.
Investors sent company shares to heights previously unseen over the summer.
On Thursday, however, for the first time in more than a decade, Domino's Pizza Inc. said that sales at established stores fell 1.9% in the third quarter. During the same three-month stretch last year, comparable-store sales rocketed 17.5% higher.
The company also cited pandemic assistance money from the U.S. petering out during the most recent quarter, but the focus at the Ann Arbor company is finding enough employees.
Domino's has taken measures to lure workers but delivery times have lengthened, a bad trend in an environment of fierce competition with delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats.
-- The Associated Press
Index ends at 687.07 after gaining 7.83
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, closed Thursday at 687.07, up 7.83.
"Strong corporate earnings reports for the third quarter fueled a sharp rally led by the materials and information technology sectors as the S&P 500 notched a gain of +1.71% on the day," said Leon Lants, managing director at Stephens Inc.
The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.