Matson (NYSE:MATX) Reaches New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATXGet Free Report)’s share price reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $203.33 and last traded at $206.2880, with a volume of 113550 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $192.23.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on Matson in a research note on Monday, April 27th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $230.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Matson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, March 15th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Matson in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Matson to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Matson presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $181.25.

Read Our Latest Report on MATX

Matson Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.10 billion, a PE ratio of 14.82 and a beta of 1.29. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $185.69 and a 200 day moving average price of $163.91.

Matson (NYSE:MATXGet Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, May 4th. The shipping company reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $757.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $777.55 million. Matson had a return on equity of 15.90% and a net margin of 12.92%.The business’s revenue was down 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.18 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Matson, Inc. will post 13.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Matson Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 6th will be given a $0.38 dividend. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. This is a boost from Matson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.36. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 6th. Matson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.58%.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Grace M. Cerocke sold 1,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $183.57, for a total value of $220,284.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 17,986 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,301,690.02. This represents a 6.25% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Laura L. Rascon sold 2,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.53, for a total value of $527,884.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 15,656 shares in the company, valued at $2,951,625.68. The trade was a 15.17% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 23,963 shares of company stock valued at $4,349,268 in the last three months. Company insiders own 2.51% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

About Matson

(Get Free Report)

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.

Further Reading

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