Matson (NYSE:MATX) Announces Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.91 EPS

Matson (NYSE:MATX) issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The shipping company reported $4.60 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.69 by $0.91, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $851.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $847.30 million. Matson had a net margin of 12.70% and a return on equity of 16.23%.

Here are the key takeaways from Matson’s conference call:

• Matson finished Q4 above expectations as ocean transportation income was bolstered by higher-than-expected freight rates and volumes in its China service, driven by e-commerce/e-goods demand and the October US–China trade deal stabilizing the Transpacific lane.
• For full-year 2026 management expects consolidated operating income to approach the $499.8 million achieved in 2025, with a return to more normal seasonality (Q2/Q3 strongest) though Q1 will be weaker due to Lunar New Year-related China volume.
• Strong cash generation and capital returns — trailing-12-month operating cash flow of $547.1 million, $307.4 million of share repurchases in 2025 (and 13.9 million shares repurchased since 2021), reduced net debt, and a Capital Construction Fund covering ~92% of remaining vessel milestone obligations.
• China volumes were a headwind in 2025 (container volume down about 9.5% year‑over‑year for the year and 7.2% in Q4), and Matson says it will prioritize yield over fill‑rates in 2026 — meaning some sailings may not be full, which could limit near‑term volume and revenue upside.

Matson Trading Up 1.5%

NYSE MATX traded up $2.55 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $166.93. The company had a trading volume of 264,835 shares, compared to its average volume of 295,337. Matson has a 1-year low of $86.97 and a 1-year high of $169.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.70 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $145.10 and a 200 day moving average of $118.57.

Matson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 5th will be given a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 5th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. Matson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.96%.

Institutional Trading of Matson

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in Matson by 8.3% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 41,346 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $5,300,000 after purchasing an additional 3,155 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its stake in Matson by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 19,511 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $2,501,000 after acquiring an additional 863 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in Matson by 7.1% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 102,629 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $13,154,000 after acquiring an additional 6,778 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Matson in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $78,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its holdings in Matson by 11.3% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 24,459 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $3,135,000 after buying an additional 2,492 shares during the last quarter. 84.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MATX has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Stephens raised their target price on Matson from $190.00 to $213.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Wolfe Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $167.00 target price on shares of Matson in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Matson in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $156.25.

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.