GHP Investment Advisors Inc. Lowers Stake in Marten Transport, Ltd. (NASDAQ:MRTN)

GHP Investment Advisors Inc. trimmed its position in Marten Transport, Ltd. (NASDAQ:MRTN - Free Report) by 13.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 280,869 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 43,116 shares during the period. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. owned about 0.34% of Marten Transport worth $3,854,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Marten Transport by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,071,568 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $63,557,000 after acquiring an additional 23,201 shares during the period. Nuance Investments LLC grew its position in shares of Marten Transport by 21.7% during the 4th quarter. Nuance Investments LLC now owns 3,196,811 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $49,902,000 after acquiring an additional 569,700 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in shares of Marten Transport by 10.8% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,803,045 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $28,146,000 after acquiring an additional 175,059 shares during the period. William Blair Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Marten Transport by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 1,492,142 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $23,292,000 after buying an additional 31,303 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Marten Transport by 8.9% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,024,117 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $15,986,000 after buying an additional 83,686 shares during the period. 69.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Jerry M. Bauer bought 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 purchase, the director now directly owns 176,444 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,272,598.72. This trade represents a 12.78% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 22.90% of the company's stock.

Marten Transport Stock Up 0.1%

MRTN traded up $0.01 on Thursday, hitting $12.88. The company's stock had a trading volume of 605,243 shares, compared to its average volume of 418,331. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $13.15 and its 200-day simple moving average is $14.31. The firm has a market cap of $1.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.70 and a beta of 1.00. Marten Transport, Ltd. has a 12 month low of $12.52 and a 12 month high of $19.26.

Marten Transport (NASDAQ:MRTN - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 16th. The transportation company reported $0.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.05. Marten Transport had a net margin of 2.31% and a return on equity of 2.82%. The business had revenue of $223.15 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $228.79 million. Equities analysts predict that Marten Transport, Ltd. will post 0.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marten Transport Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 13th will be paid a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.86%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 13th. Marten Transport's dividend payout ratio is presently 88.89%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Marten Transport from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd.

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.