JBHT vs CHRW Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
J.B. Hunt is generally evaluated as an asset-heavy transportation company with owned trucking, intermodal, and dedicated fleet capacity, while C.H. Robinson is assessed as an asset-light freight brokerage focused on network scale and technology-driven margin improvement. Both are highly sensitive to the freight cycle but differ meaningfully in capital intensity and business model. The choice depends on whether an investor prefers asset-backed transportation exposure or a lighter-capital brokerage model.
J.B. Hunt suits investors wanting asset-backed exposure to intermodal and dedicated freight services, while C.H. Robinson offers a more capital-light way to play a freight market recovery through brokerage volume and margin improvement.
JBHT holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. JBHT has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+83.10% vs +16.29%), though CHRW has the better forward P/E setup (20.05x vs 25.81x for JBHT). JBHT leads on both revenue growth (19.40%) and operating margin (7.42%), suggesting a stronger fundamental setup on both dimensions. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for CHRW (+32.88%) than for JBHT (+17.02%).
- Want exposure to intermodal and dedicated contract freight services
- Value owned transportation assets and long-term customer contracts
- Believe in a cyclical freight market recovery
- Can tolerate capital-intensive business economics
- Prefer an asset-light freight brokerage business model
- Believe in technology-driven automation improving margins
- Want lower capital intensity exposure to freight market recovery
- Are comfortable with brokerage-specific competitive pressures
| Metric | JBHT | CHRW |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 56.0 | 47.5 |
| AI rank | #216 | #596 |
| Latest close | $265.47 | $149.66 |
| 1M return | -2.31% | +1.31% |
| 6M return | +14.39% | -20.07% |
| 1Y return | +83.10% | +16.29% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | JBHT | CHRW |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $18.4K (+84.0%) started 2025-09-02 | $11.61K (+16.1%) started 2025-09-02 |
| 5Y ago | $15.9K (+59.0%) started 2021-09-01 | $20.5K (+105.0%) started 2021-09-01 |
| 10Y ago | $38.77K (+287.7%) started 2016-09-01 | $32.64K (+226.4%) started 2016-09-01 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | JBHT | CHRW |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $24.51B | $17.57B |
| Trailing P/E | 37.18 | 28.81 |
| Forward P/E | 25.81 | 20.05 |
| Price/Sales | N/A | N/A |
| EV/Revenue | 2.04 | 1.14 |
| Analyst target | $305.45 | $199.84 |
| Target upside | +17.02% | +32.88% |
| Metric | JBHT | CHRW |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 19.40% | 19.30% |
| Earnings growth | 45.80% | 23.80% |
| EPS growth | +45.80% | +23.80% |
| FCF margin | +7.11% | +2.83% |
| Operating margin | 7.42% | 5.34% |
| Profit margin | 5.31% | 3.73% |
| ROIC proxy | 18.45% | 37.12% |
| Return on equity | 18.45% | 37.12% |
| Dividend yield | 0.69% | 1.68% |
| Beta | 1.30 | 0.95 |
| Debt/equity | 38.37 | 121.19 |
| Current ratio | 1.25 | 1.58 |
| Quick ratio | 1.01 | 1.53 |
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | JBHT | CHRW |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +84.03% | +16.11% |
| CAGR | +84.69% | +16.22% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.67 | 0.46 | |
| Max drawdown | 15.87% | 32.37% | |
| Max daily drop | 5.73% | 15.44% | |
| Max wkly drop | 11.15% | 28.51% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +53.43% | +85.12% |
| CAGR | +8.94% | +13.11% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.29 | 0.40 | |
| Max drawdown | 42.41% | 40.55% | |
| Max daily drop | 10.83% | 15.44% | |
| Max wkly drop | 17.27% | 28.51% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +256.72% | +159.33% |
| CAGR | +13.56% | +10.00% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.42 | 0.32 | |
| Max drawdown | 42.41% | 40.55% | |
| Max daily drop | 14.23% | 15.44% | |
| Max wkly drop | 17.27% | 28.51% |
| Category | JBHT | CHRW |
|---|---|---|
| Company | J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. | C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. |
| Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| Industry | N/A | N/A |
| Core business | J.B. Hunt operates intermodal, dedicated, and truckload freight services, combining company-owned trucking assets with logistics and brokerage capabilities. | C.H. Robinson operates an asset-light freight brokerage platform, connecting shippers with third-party carriers across truckload, less-than-truckload, and global forwarding services. |
| Investor focus | Investors watch intermodal volume trends, pricing recovery in a soft freight market, and utilization of its dedicated contract fleet. | Investors watch net revenue margin trends, progress on technology-driven automation initiatives, and volume recovery in a competitive freight brokerage market. |
- Large asset base combining intermodal, dedicated, and brokerage services
- Strong long-term customer relationships in dedicated contract services
- Scale advantages in intermodal rail-truck freight network
- Asset-light model requiring less capital investment than trucking carriers
- Large network of carrier relationships across multiple transportation modes
- Ongoing automation initiatives aimed at improving productivity and margins
- Earnings sensitivity to freight cycle downturns and rate pressure
- Capital intensity of owning trucks, containers, and equipment
- Competitive pressure from both trucking carriers and freight brokers
- Net revenue margins are pressured during soft freight rate environments
- Competitive brokerage market with pricing pressure from digital freight platforms
- Earnings sensitivity to freight volume and truckload spot rate cycles
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