Leonard Isotoff Sells 1,250 Shares of Matson (NYSE:MATX) Stock

Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX) SVP Leonard Isotoff sold 1,250 shares of Matson stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $208.30, for a total transaction of $260,375.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 6,527 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,359,574.10. The trade was a 16.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Matson Stock Up 0.0%

MATX stock opened at $214.48 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.34 and a beta of 1.27. Matson, Inc. has a 12 month low of $86.97 and a 12 month high of $230.74. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $203.59 and its 200-day simple moving average is $181.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.89.

Matson (NYSE:MATX) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The shipping company reported $4.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.79 by $0.48. The firm had revenue of $969.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $893.91 million. Matson had a net margin of 13.41% and a return on equity of 16.94%. The firm’s revenue was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.92 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Matson, Inc. will post 16.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Matson Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.38 per share. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 6th. This is an increase from Matson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.36. Matson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.16%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Matson

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in shares of Matson by 8.3% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 41,346 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $5,300,000 after purchasing an additional 3,155 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in Matson by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 19,511 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $2,501,000 after buying an additional 863 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in Matson by 7.1% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 102,629 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $13,154,000 after buying an additional 6,778 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Matson in the 1st quarter worth about $78,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in Matson by 11.3% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 24,459 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $3,135,000 after buying an additional 2,492 shares during the last quarter. 84.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Matson News

Here are the key news stories impacting Matson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Matson’s latest quarterly results showed solid operating momentum: earnings per share of $4.27 exceeded the $3.79 consensus estimate, while revenue increased 16.7% year over year to $969.4 million, also topping expectations. Analysts forecast approximately $16.01 in full-year EPS.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment has improved, with JPMorgan raising its price target to $270 and Stephens lifting its target to $260. The consensus rating is “Buy,” with an average target price of $232.33, suggesting additional potential upside based on current estimates.
• Positive Sentiment: Matson increased its quarterly dividend to $0.38 per share from $0.36, signaling confidence in cash generation. The annualized payout is $1.52 per share, although the yield remains modest at roughly 0.7%.
• Neutral Sentiment: A Zacks comparison examines whether MATX is outperforming transportation peers, including Seanergy Maritime Holdings, and the broader transportation sector this year. The report provides relative-performance context but does not introduce a new company-specific fundamental catalyst. Zacks Matson peer-performance article
• Negative Sentiment: Four senior vice presidents sold a combined 4,569 Matson shares for approximately $952,000 on August 11. The transactions reduced their individual holdings by about 6% to 20%, though all retained shares. Repeated executive selling could weigh on sentiment, even though insider sales can also reflect personal liquidity or diversification decisions. Matson insider-selling article

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on MATX. Zacks Research upgraded Matson from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Weiss Ratings raised Matson from a “hold (c)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Matson from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Matson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. Finally, Stephens raised their price objective on shares of Matson from $240.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and four have issued a Buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $232.33.

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.