Kevin Stuck Sells 2,524 Shares of Matson (NYSE:MATX) Stock

Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX) VP Kevin Stuck sold 2,524 shares of Matson stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $167.08, for a total value of $421,709.92. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 2,331 shares in the company, valued at $389,463.48. This represents a 51.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Matson Stock Down 5.1%

Shares of NYSE:MATX opened at $158.84 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $151.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $121.78. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The company has a market capitalization of $4.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.39 and a beta of 1.32. Matson, Inc. has a 12-month low of $86.97 and a 12-month high of $177.51.

Matson (NYSE:MATX) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The shipping company reported $4.60 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $851.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $847.30 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.80 earnings per share. Matson’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Matson, Inc. will post 13.27 EPS for the current year.

Matson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 5th were given a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 5th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Matson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.33%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Stephens upped their price target on Matson from $190.00 to $213.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Wolfe Research reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $167.00 target price on shares of Matson in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Matson in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $156.25.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its stake in Matson by 124.3% during the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 249 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S purchased a new position in shares of Matson in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in shares of Matson by 67.1% during the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 254 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Matson during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Matson during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. 84.76% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Matson

Here are the key news stories impacting Matson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Matson posted a quarterly earnings beat (EPS $4.60 vs. ~ $3.69 consensus) and showed healthy margins, supporting underlying fundamentals. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend ($0.36/share, $1.44 annualized), which helps income-oriented holders and signals capital-return discipline. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: firms including Stephens raised targets and kept constructive ratings, which can attract institutional buying interest. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector/comparative coverage including Matson appeared in broader write-ups; informative but not an immediate catalyst. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Cluster of insider selling: multiple senior executives sold shares on March 3, creating near-term negative sentiment and likely contributing to the stock decline. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Largest single executive sale: EVP Peter T. Heilmann sold 13,000 shares (~$2.15M at ~ $165.46), a sizable block investors often view as a signal to reduce exposure. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation caution: a Seeking Alpha piece flags Matson’s high valuation as a potential headwind, which can amplify selling from valuation-sensitive investors. Read More.

Matson Company Profile

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.