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

Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX) VP Kevin Stuck sold 2,524 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $167.08, for a total value of $421,709.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 2,331 shares in the company, valued at approximately $389,463.48. The trade was a 51.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Matson Stock Down 3.1%

Shares of NYSE MATX traded down $5.18 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $162.20. The stock had a trading volume of 118,070 shares, compared to its average volume of 300,806. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $151.25 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $121.52. Matson, Inc. has a 52 week low of $86.97 and a 52 week high of $177.51. The company has a market capitalization of $4.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.64 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 0.89.

Matson (NYSE:MATX) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 24th. The shipping company reported $4.60 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.69 by $0.91. The firm had revenue of $851.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $847.30 million. Matson had a net margin of 13.30% and a return on equity of 16.63%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.80 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Matson, Inc. will post 13.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Matson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 5th will be paid a $0.36 dividend. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 5th. Matson’s payout ratio is presently 10.33%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MATX has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Matson in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Stephens raised their price objective on Matson from $190.00 to $213.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wolfe Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $167.00 target price on shares of Matson in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $156.25.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Matson

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its holdings in Matson by 124.3% in the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 249 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S bought a new stake in shares of Matson in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of Matson by 67.1% in the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 254 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Matson during the second quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new position in Matson during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.76% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Matson

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

About Matson

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.