Brokerages Set Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX) PT at $232.33

Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the five analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $232.3333.

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Matson from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Matson from a “hold (c)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Wall Street Zen raised Matson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Matson from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Stephens increased their target price on Matson from $240.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th.

Matson Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MATX opened at $214.48 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.34 and a beta of 1.27. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $203.59 and its 200-day simple moving average is $181.29. Matson has a 12 month low of $86.97 and a 12 month high of $230.74.

Matson (NYSE:MATX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The shipping company reported $4.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.79 by $0.48. Matson had a net margin of 13.41% and a return on equity of 16.94%. The firm had revenue of $969.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $893.91 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.92 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Matson will post 16.01 EPS for the current year.

Matson Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 6th will be given a dividend of $0.38 per share. This is a boost from Matson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.36. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 6th. Matson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 10.16%.

More Matson News

Here are the key news stories impacting Matson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Matson’s latest quarterly results showed solid operating momentum: earnings per share of $4.27 exceeded the $3.79 consensus estimate, while revenue increased 16.7% year over year to $969.4 million, also topping expectations. Analysts forecast approximately $16.01 in full-year EPS.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment has improved, with JPMorgan raising its price target to $270 and Stephens lifting its target to $260. The consensus rating is “Buy,” with an average target price of $232.33, suggesting additional potential upside based on current estimates.
• Positive Sentiment: Matson increased its quarterly dividend to $0.38 per share from $0.36, signaling confidence in cash generation. The annualized payout is $1.52 per share, although the yield remains modest at roughly 0.7%.
• Neutral Sentiment: A Zacks comparison examines whether MATX is outperforming transportation peers, including Seanergy Maritime Holdings, and the broader transportation sector this year. The report provides relative-performance context but does not introduce a new company-specific fundamental catalyst. Zacks Matson peer-performance article
• Negative Sentiment: Four senior vice presidents sold a combined 4,569 Matson shares for approximately $952,000 on August 11. The transactions reduced their individual holdings by about 6% to 20%, though all retained shares. Repeated executive selling could weigh on sentiment, even though insider sales can also reflect personal liquidity or diversification decisions. Matson insider-selling article

Insider Buying and Selling at Matson

In related news, SVP Laura L. Rascon sold 2,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.53, for a total value of $527,884.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 15,656 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,951,625.68. This trade represents a 15.17% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP John Warren Sullivan sold 1,917 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $208.49, for a total transaction of $399,675.33. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 7,630 shares in the company, valued at $1,590,778.70. This represents a 20.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 10,089 shares of company stock valued at $1,975,717. Insiders own 2.51% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Matson

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Matson in the second quarter worth approximately $688,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new position in Matson in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,561,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Matson in the 2nd quarter valued at $282,000. Pinnbrook Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Matson during the 2nd quarter worth $8,807,000. Finally, Evolve Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Matson during the 2nd quarter worth $1,303,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.76% of the company’s stock.

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.