Matson (NYSE:MATX) SVP Kuuhaku Park Sells 2,500 Shares

Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX) SVP Kuuhaku Park sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.19, for a total transaction of $450,475.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 10,984 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,979,206.96. The trade was a 18.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

Matson Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of Matson stock opened at $181.94 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $167.62 and a 200 day moving average price of $144.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. Matson, Inc. has a twelve month low of $86.97 and a twelve month high of $189.99. The stock has a market cap of $5.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.37 and a beta of 1.30.

Matson (NYSE:MATX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 4th. The shipping company reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.65 by $0.20. Matson had a return on equity of 15.90% and a net margin of 12.92%.The company had revenue of $757.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $777.55 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.18 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Matson, Inc. will post 13.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Matson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 7th will be given a $0.36 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 7th. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Matson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.58%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on MATX. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Matson in a research report on Monday, April 27th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $230.00 target price on the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of Matson to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Stephens lifted 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. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Matson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, March 15th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $181.25.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Matson

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MATX. Cannell & Spears LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Matson during the first quarter worth approximately $225,000. Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in Matson by 421.7% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 26,087 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $4,277,000 after acquiring an additional 21,087 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming boosted its stake in Matson by 86.8% during the 1st quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 2,858 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $469,000 after acquiring an additional 1,328 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its holdings in Matson by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 4,060 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $666,000 after acquiring an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Matson by 61.6% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 81,319 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $13,331,000 after purchasing an additional 30,998 shares during the last quarter. 84.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.