Matson (MATX) Competitors

Kirby (NYSE:KEX) and Matson (NYSE:MATX) are both mid-cap transportation companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, media sentiment, earnings, institutional ownership, risk, analyst recommendations and valuation.

Does the media favor KEX or MATX?

In the previous week, Kirby had 1 more articles in the media than Matson. MarketBeat recorded 11 mentions for Kirby and 10 mentions for Matson. Kirby's average media sentiment score of 0.93 beat Matson's score of 0.65 indicating that Kirby is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Kirby	4 Very Positive mention(s)	4 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Matson	5 Very Positive mention(s)	2 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Which has more volatility and risk, KEX or MATX?

Kirby has a beta of 1.01, meaning that its stock price is 1% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Matson has a beta of 1.22, meaning that its stock price is 22% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Is KEX or MATX more profitable?

Matson has a net margin of 14.26% compared to Kirby's net margin of 9.25%. Matson's return on equity of 18.90% beat Kirby's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Kirby	9.25%	10.07%	5.67%
Matson	14.26%	18.90%	10.95%

Do institutionals & insiders hold more shares of KEX or MATX?

96.2% of Kirby shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 84.8% of Matson shares are held by institutional investors. 0.9% of Kirby shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 2.1% of Matson shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Do analysts prefer KEX or MATX?

Kirby currently has a consensus target price of $130.00, suggesting a potential upside of 30.65%. Matson has a consensus target price of $131.67, suggesting a potential upside of 20.10%. Given Kirby's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Kirby is more favorable than Matson.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Kirby	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	2 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	3.00
Matson	0 Sell rating(s)	3 Hold rating(s)	1 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.25

Which has higher valuation & earnings, KEX or MATX?

Matson has higher revenue and earnings than Kirby. Matson is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Kirby, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Kirby	$3.27B	1.71	$286.71M	$5.29	18.81
Matson	$3.46B	1.01	$476.40M	$14.79	7.41

Summary

Kirby and Matson tied by winning 8 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.