Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX - Get Free Report) SVP Laura Rascon sold 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.34, for a total transaction of $169,340.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 18,996 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,216,782.64. This represents a 5.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.
Matson Stock Down 3.7%
MATX stock traded down $6.16 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $161.22. The company had a trading volume of 133,629 shares, compared to its average volume of 300,806. The company has a 50 day moving average of $151.25 and a two-hundred day moving average of $121.52. The company has a market capitalization of $4.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.57 and a beta of 1.32. Matson, Inc. has a 1 year low of $86.97 and a 1 year high of $177.51. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.
Matson (NYSE:MATX - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The shipping company reported $4.60 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.69 by $0.91. Matson had a net margin of 13.30% and a return on equity of 16.63%. The business had revenue of $851.90 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $847.30 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.80 earnings per share. Matson's revenue for the quarter was down 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Matson, Inc. will post 13.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Matson Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 5th will be given a $0.36 dividend. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 5th. Matson's dividend payout ratio is presently 10.33%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several brokerages recently commented on MATX. Wolfe Research reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $167.00 price target on shares of Matson in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Matson in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Stephens increased their price target on shares of Matson from $190.00 to $213.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Matson currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $156.25.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on MATX
Matson News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Matson this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results: Matson reported an EPS beat ($4.60 vs. consensus ~$3.69) and maintained healthy margins, giving fundamental support to the stock. MarketBeat - MATX
- Positive Sentiment: Dividend: Matson declared a quarterly dividend ($0.36/share; $1.44 annualized), which supports income-oriented investors and signals capital-return discipline. MarketBeat - MATX Dividend
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Stephens raised its price target and kept an overweight stance (target raised to $213), which can provide buying interest among institutional and momentum-focused investors. MarketBeat - Analyst Notes
- Positive Sentiment: Institutional flows: Several asset managers (RBC, Millennium, UBS AM, MIRAE) increased or initiated positions recently, signalling continued institutional interest. MarketBeat - Ownership Changes
- Neutral Sentiment: Broader coverage piece: A comparative analysis that includes Matson appeared on American Banking News; informational but not an immediate catalyst. Comparative Analysis
- Negative Sentiment: Cluster of insider selling: Multiple senior executives sold sizeable blocks on March 3 (including EVP Peter Heilmann, EVP Vic Angoco Jr., SVP Richard Kinney and others). The concentrated, contemporaneous selling is the main near-term negative driver for the stock. InsiderTrades Alert
- Negative Sentiment: Largest single exec sale: EVP Peter T. Heilmann sold 13,000 shares (~$2.15M at ~$165.46), a significant block that investors often read as a near-term signal to trim exposure. SEC Filing - Heilmann
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation caution: A Seeking Alpha piece argues Matson’s high valuation could be a headwind, which can amplify selling among valuation-sensitive investors. Seeking Alpha - Valuation Piece
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Matson
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MATX. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC increased its holdings in shares of Matson by 37.4% during the 3rd quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 127,208 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $12,541,000 after purchasing an additional 34,631 shares during the period. Paradiem LLC grew its position in Matson by 27.9% during the third quarter. Paradiem LLC now owns 102,721 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $10,127,000 after buying an additional 22,393 shares in the last quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Matson during the third quarter valued at about $740,000. Vise Technologies Inc. acquired a new position in Matson in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $377,000. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Matson by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,250,636 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $123,300,000 after purchasing an additional 35,229 shares in the last quarter. 84.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Matson Company Profile
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Get Free Report)
Matson, Inc (NYSE: MATX) is a U.S.-based provider of ocean transportation and supply chain logistics services with a focus on Pacific trade lanes. The company operates a fleet of container ships that regularly service Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Micronesia and other Pacific islands, as well as mainland U.S. ports. Matson's ocean transportation segment offers scheduled liner services, expedited shipping options and specialized project cargo handling for industries ranging from retail to heavy machinery.
In addition to its core liner operations, Matson offers ocean transportation services between Asia and the U.S.
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