BNP Paribas Financial Markets Trims Holdings in Marten Transport, Ltd. (NASDAQ:MRTN)

BNP Paribas Financial Markets cut its holdings in shares of Marten Transport, Ltd. (NASDAQ:MRTN - Free Report) by 54.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 63,363 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 75,145 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets owned approximately 0.08% of Marten Transport worth $989,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Keybank National Association OH increased its position in Marten Transport by 5.5% during the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 24,006 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $375,000 after buying an additional 1,258 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Marten Transport by 5.2% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 31,148 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $521,000 after buying an additional 1,526 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd lifted its stake in Marten Transport by 11.4% during the fourth quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 18,760 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $293,000 after purchasing an additional 1,916 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its position in Marten Transport by 5.9% in the fourth quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 35,548 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $555,000 after acquiring an additional 1,992 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LPL Financial LLC grew its position in Marten Transport by 7.3% in the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 33,447 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $522,000 after acquiring an additional 2,267 shares during the last quarter. 69.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on MRTN. Wall Street Zen downgraded Marten Transport from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday. Stephens increased their price target on Marten Transport from $18.00 to $19.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th.

Marten Transport Price Performance

Marten Transport stock remained flat at $12.99 during mid-day trading on Monday. The company's stock had a trading volume of 468,316 shares, compared to its average volume of 411,599. Marten Transport, Ltd. has a 12-month low of $12.52 and a 12-month high of $19.26. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $13.31 and a 200-day simple moving average of $14.90. The stock has a market cap of $1.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.21 and a beta of 1.04.

Marten Transport (NASDAQ:MRTN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 16th. The transportation company reported $0.05 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.05. Marten Transport had a return on equity of 3.52% and a net margin of 2.79%. The firm had revenue of $223.15 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $228.79 million. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Marten Transport, Ltd. will post 0.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Marten Transport Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 13th will be issued a $0.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 13th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.85%. Marten Transport's dividend payout ratio is presently 88.89%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marten Transport news, Director Jerry M. Bauer purchased 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 28th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $12.88 per share, for a total transaction of $257,600.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 176,444 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,272,598.72. The trade was a 12.78% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 22.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Marten Transport Company Profile

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.