JBHT vs SNDR: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
Last updated August 2026
Short answer
JBHT is the larger of the two ($25.52B market cap): the incumbent the market prices for continued execution (26.86x forward earnings, beta 1.29). SNDR is the smaller challenger ($6.26B), cheaper on forward earnings (21.04x): more room to run, but more to prove. The real question is which set of drivers you believe, and whether owning one (or both) leaves you over-concentrated.
JBHT vs SNDR: the tie-breaker metrics
Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.
| Metric | JBHT | SNDR | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $25.52B | $6.26B | Size. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove. |
| Forward P/E | 26.86 | 21.04 | Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up. |
| Trailing P/E | 38.60 | 63.82 | Valuation on the last 12 months. A big drop from trailing to forward means the market expects earnings to jump, so more growth is already in the price. |
| Beta | 1.29 | 1.18 | Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through. |
| Price vs 52-week range | 83% of range | 82% of range | Where today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why. |
| Price / book | 6.98 | 2.07 | How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price. |
Reading it: SNDR is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.
Before you buy: how JBHT and SNDR affect your concentration
The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. JBHT and SNDR share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.
This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined JBHT and SNDR exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
What does J.B. Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) do?
J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. is a transportation and logistics company headquartered in Lowell, Arkansas. It operates across five reporting segments: Intermodal (JBI), which moves containers on Class I railroads and is the largest revenue contributor at roughly 48% of sales; Dedicated Contract Services (DCS), which runs fleets on behalf of specific customers at around 27%; Integrated Capacity Solutions (ICS), an asset-light freight brokerage at about 12%; Final Mile Services (FMS), heavy-goods home delivery near 7%; and Truckload (JBT), for-hire trucking at roughly 6%. The company's long-running partnership with BNSF Railway underpins its intermodal network, which delivered record first-quarter volumes in early 2026.
What does Schneider National (SNDR) do?
Schneider National, Inc. is a Green Bay, Wisconsin transportation and logistics company that moves freight across North America. It operates through three main segments: Truckload (dry van, dedicated, and bulk trucking), Intermodal (rail-plus-drayage container service), and Logistics (asset-light freight brokerage and supply-chain services). The company runs one of the largest for-hire fleets in the United States, owns a substantial intermodal container pool, and increasingly leans on dedicated contracts and technology to smooth the cyclicality of the spot truckload market.
JBHT vs SNDR: how do they differ?
Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.
- JBHT drivers: Intermodal scale and the BNSF partnership; Dedicated Contract Services as a stabilizer.
- SNDR drivers: Freight-cycle recovery leverage; Dedicated and intermodal mix shift.
Which fits which kind of investor
A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: The dominant risk is the freight cycle: soft shipping demand and weak pricing can pressure volumes and margins for extended periods, as the modest 2025 revenue decline showed. For SNDR, sNDR's results are tightly linked to the freight cycle, so a prolonged truckload downturn, weak spot rates, or persistent industry overcapacity can keep earnings depressed.
JBHT or SNDR: which should you pick?
Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick JBHT if you believe its drivers more; SNDR if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the JBHT and SNDR guides.
JBHT vs SNDR: the full fundamentals
JBHT. As of mid-2026 JBHT traded around $289 per share for a market capitalization near $27 billion, with a quarterly dividend of about $0.45 per share (roughly a 0.6% yield). Q1 2026 revenue of about $3.06 billion and diluted EPS of about $1.49 both rose year over year and topped consensus, signaling improving demand off a soft 2025 base.
SNDR. As of July 2026, Schneider carries a market cap of roughly $6.4 billion on about $5.7 billion of trailing revenue. The trailing price-to-earnings multiple near the mid-60s looks expensive, but it reflects cyclically depressed truckload earnings rather than premium growth. The forward multiple in the mid-30s and full-year 2026 EPS guidance of roughly $0.70 to $1.00 frame the stock as a recovery play.
Headline figures (approximate, JUNE 2026): JBHT shows revenue (fy2025) ~$12.0B, revenue (q1 2026) ~$3.06B, net earnings (q1 2026) ~$141.6M, diluted eps (q1 2026) ~$1.49; SNDR shows revenue (ttm) ~$5.7B, net income (fy2025) ~$104M, market cap ~$6.4B, p/e (ttm) ~66x.
The bottom line: JBHT vs SNDR
JBHT and SNDR are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined JBHT and SNDR exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Wondering how JBHT or SNDR fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.
Investing in J.B. Hunt Transport Services with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how JBHT fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What is the difference between JBHT and SNDR?
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J.B. Schneider National, Inc. They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.
Is JBHT or SNDR the better stock?
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Neither is universally better. JBHT is the larger incumbent; SNDR is the smaller challenger and looks cheaper on forward earnings. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.
Which is cheaper, JBHT or SNDR?
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On forward P/E (as of August 2026), JBHT trades at 26.86x and SNDR at 21.04x, so SNDR is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.
Should you own both JBHT and SNDR?
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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.
What are the risks of JBHT vs SNDR?
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JBHT: The dominant risk is the freight cycle: soft shipping demand and weak pricing can pressure volumes and margins for extended periods, as the modest 2025 revenue decline showed. Rail-service quality and velocity directly affect intermodal profitability, so congestion or partner performance issues can hurt results even when demand is healthy. The business is capital intensive, requiring ongoing spend on tractors, containers, and technology, and competition is intense across intermodal, dedicated, and brokerage. Fuel costs, labor availability, and broader macro conditions add further variability to any given quarter. SNDR: SNDR's results are tightly linked to the freight cycle, so a prolonged truckload downturn, weak spot rates, or persistent industry overcapacity can keep earnings depressed. Fuel-price volatility, driver wages, equipment costs, and used-truck resale values all pressure margins. Intermodal depends on rail-partner service and pricing that Schneider does not fully control. The trailing valuation multiple is elevated on trough earnings, so the stock is vulnerable if a recovery is delayed. Broader macroeconomic softness in retail and manufacturing demand directly reduces freight volumes.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell JBHT or SNDR; figures are approximate and dated (as of August 2026). Verify current data before investing.