Marten Transport (NASDAQ:MRTN) Hits New 1-Year Low – What’s Next?

Marten Transport, Ltd. (NASDAQ:MRTN)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $14.07 and last traded at $14.12, with a volume of 97583 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $14.35.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Stephens boosted their price target on Marten Transport from $18.00 to $19.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th.

Marten Transport Stock Performance

The firm’s 50 day moving average is $15.21 and its 200 day moving average is $16.26. The stock has a market cap of $1.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.15 and a beta of 0.84.

Marten Transport (NASDAQ:MRTN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, January 27th. The transportation company reported $0.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.06 by $0.01. Marten Transport had a return on equity of 3.52% and a net margin of 2.79%. As a group, analysts expect that Marten Transport, Ltd. will post 0.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marten Transport Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.76%. Marten Transport’s payout ratio is 70.59%.

Institutional Trading of Marten Transport

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wealthedge Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Marten Transport during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $266,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its holdings in shares of Marten Transport by 16.9% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 96,634 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,508,000 after buying an additional 13,957 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its position in shares of Marten Transport by 57.1% in the 4th quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 41,769 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $652,000 after acquiring an additional 15,188 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP increased its position in shares of Marten Transport by 9.6% in the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 424,116 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $6,620,000 after acquiring an additional 37,100 shares during the period. Finally, Shay Capital LLC purchased a new position in Marten Transport in the 4th quarter worth $347,000. 69.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Marten Transport

Marten Transport, Ltd. operates as a temperature-sensitive truckload carrier for shippers in the United State, Mexico, and Canada. The company operates through four segments: Truckload, Dedicated, Intermodal, and Brokerage. The Truckload segment transports food and other consumer packaged goods that require a temperature-controlled or insulated environment, as well as dry freight; and regional short-haul and medium-to-long-haul full-load transportation services.