Marten Transport (NASDAQ:MRTN) Cut to "Sell" at StockNews.com

Marten Transport (NASDAQ:MRTN - Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday.

Separately, Stephens lifted their price target on shares of Marten Transport from $18.00 to $19.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th.

Marten Transport Trading Down 2.4%

NASDAQ MRTN opened at $13.09 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $13.36 and a 200 day simple moving average of $15.02. The company has a market capitalization of $1.07 billion, a PE ratio of 38.50 and a beta of 1.04. Marten Transport has a 12 month low of $12.52 and a 12 month high of $19.26.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marten Transport news, Director Jerry M. Bauer bought 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 28th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $12.88 per share, with a total value of $257,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 176,444 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,272,598.72. This trade represents a 12.78% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 22.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Marten Transport

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Independence Bank of Kentucky acquired a new stake in shares of Marten Transport in the fourth quarter valued at about $40,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marten Transport during the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marten Transport during the 4th quarter worth approximately $48,000. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in shares of Marten Transport during the 4th quarter worth approximately $100,000. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Marten Transport by 44.6% during the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 7,428 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $102,000 after purchasing an additional 2,291 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.12% of the company's stock.

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.

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