Baker Ellis Asset Management LLC Sells 1,800 Shares of Marten Transport, Ltd. (NASDAQ:MRTN)

Baker Ellis Asset Management LLC trimmed its position in Marten Transport, Ltd. (NASDAQ:MRTN) by 13.4% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 11,682 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 1,800 shares during the period. Baker Ellis Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Marten Transport were worth $160,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Marten Transport by 3.6% in the fourth quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 33,049 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $516,000 after purchasing an additional 1,152 shares during the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH grew its holdings in Marten Transport by 5.5% during the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 24,006 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $375,000 after buying an additional 1,258 shares in the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd grew its holdings in Marten Transport by 11.4% during the fourth quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 18,760 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $293,000 after buying an additional 1,916 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Marten Transport by 5.9% during the fourth quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 35,548 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $555,000 after buying an additional 1,992 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LPL Financial LLC grew its holdings in Marten Transport by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 33,447 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $522,000 after buying an additional 2,267 shares in the last quarter. 69.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Marten Transport Trading Down 2.2%

Shares of Marten Transport stock opened at $13.24 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $13.17 and a 200 day simple moving average of $14.60. Marten Transport, Ltd. has a 12-month low of $12.52 and a 12-month high of $19.26. The company has a market capitalization of $1.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.94 and a beta of 1.00.

Marten Transport (NASDAQ:MRTN) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 16th. The transportation company reported $0.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.05. Marten Transport had a return on equity of 3.52% and a net margin of 2.79%. The business had revenue of $223.15 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $228.79 million. On average, analysts predict that Marten Transport, Ltd. will post 0.41 EPS for the current year.

Marten Transport Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 13th will be given a $0.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 13th. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.81%. Marten Transport’s dividend payout ratio is currently 88.89%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marten Transport news, Director Jerry M. Bauer acquired 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 28th. The shares were 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 document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 22.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Wall Street Zen downgraded Marten Transport from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd.

Marten Transport Company Profile

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.