Marten Transport (MRTN) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: $934.22M
• Dividend Yield: 2.09%
• Average Volume (3M): 696.59K
• Price to Earnings (P/E): 48.2
• Beta (1Y): 0.74
• Revenue Growth: -9.74%
• EPS Growth: -42.57%
• Country: US
• Employees: 3,776
• Sector: Industrials
• Sector Strength: 72
• Industry: Trucking
• EPS (TTM): 0.03
• Shares Outstanding: 81,520,424
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 876,588
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 696,589
• PEG Ratio: -0.76
• Price to Book (P/B): 1.65
• Price to Sales (P/S): 1.32
• P/FCF Ratio: -12.91
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: 0.88
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: 0.80
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: 2.59
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: 6.52
• 1Y Price Target: N/A
• Price Target Upside: N/A
• Rating Consensus: N/A
• Number of Analyst Covering: 0
• EPS Forecast (FY): 0.24
• Revenue Forecast (FY): $897.74M

• Rating: 58 Neutral
• Price Target: $11.50 ▲(12.09% Upside)

Marten Transport's overall stock score reflects a combination of mixed financial performance, cautious technical indicators, and high valuation concerns. The company's strong balance sheet and strategic focus on core operations are positives, but current market conditions and financial pressures weigh on the outlook.

Positive Factors

Strong Balance Sheet

A strong balance sheet with minimal leverage provides financial stability and flexibility, allowing Marten Transport to withstand economic fluctuations and invest in growth opportunities.

Fleet Modernization

Investing in fleet modernization enhances operational efficiency and service reliability, positioning Marten Transport to better meet customer needs and capitalize on future growth.

Core Operations Focus

Focusing on core operations allows Marten Transport to streamline resources and expertise, potentially improving profitability and competitive positioning in its primary markets.

Negative Factors

Declining Revenue Growth

Declining revenue growth indicates challenges in market expansion and customer acquisition, which may hinder long-term financial performance and competitive standing.

CEO Retirement

The retirement of a long-standing CEO can lead to strategic shifts and potential instability during the transition period, affecting company direction and stakeholder confidence.

Net Profit Margin Decline

A declining net profit margin suggests increased cost pressures and operational inefficiencies, which could impact Marten Transport's ability to sustain profitability over the long term.

Marten Transport Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Marten Transport, Ltd. (MRTN) is a leading transportation and logistics company in the United States, primarily focused on providing truckload services across various sectors. Established in 1946 and headquartered in Mondovi, Wisconsin, the company specializes in temperature-sensitive freight, offering services that include dry van, refrigerated, and intermodal transportation. Marten Transport operates a fleet of modern trucks and trailers, ensuring efficient and reliable delivery solutions to its diverse customer base, which includes retailers, manufacturers, and food distributors.

How the Company Makes Money

Marten Transport generates revenue primarily through its truckload transportation services, which encompass both refrigerated and dry freight. The company charges its clients based on the distance traveled and the type of cargo transported. Key revenue streams include long-haul and regional trucking services, with a significant portion of earnings derived from transporting perishable goods due to its focus on temperature-controlled logistics. Additionally, Marten Transport benefits from a strong network of customer relationships, long-term contracts, and partnerships with various businesses in need of reliable shipping solutions. The company's ability to maintain high operational efficiency and utilize technology for route optimization further contributes to its profitability.

Marten Transport Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Marten Transport shows strong cost management and a solid balance sheet with minimal leverage. However, the company faces challenges with declining revenue growth and profitability margins, as well as issues in free cash flow generation.

Income Statement

Marten Transport's income statement shows a mixed performance. The TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) data indicates a slight decline in revenue growth, with a negative growth rate of -1.84%. The gross profit margin has improved significantly to 38.44% in TTM, indicating better cost management. However, the net profit margin has decreased to 2.14%, reflecting challenges in maintaining profitability. The EBIT and EBITDA margins have also seen a slight decline, suggesting pressure on operational efficiency.

Balance Sheet

The balance sheet of Marten Transport is strong, with a very low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.0003, indicating minimal leverage and financial risk. The return on equity (ROE) is modest at 2.52% in TTM, showing a decrease from previous years, which may concern investors looking for higher returns. The equity ratio remains stable, suggesting a solid capital structure.

Cash Flow

The cash flow statement reveals some challenges, particularly with free cash flow, which has seen a significant decline of -66.64% in TTM. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is strong at 0.97, indicating good cash generation relative to net income. However, the free cash flow to net income ratio is lower at 0.48, suggesting potential issues in converting earnings into free cash flow.

Breakdown	TTM	Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021	Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue	1.03B	963.71M	1.13B	1.26B	973.64M	874.37M
Gross Profit	317.13M	130.70M	188.73M	238.50M	183.15M	170.76M
EBITDA	125.79M	139.90M	193.22M	240.98M	197.96M	185.69M
Net Income	19.38M	26.92M	70.37M	110.35M	85.43M	69.50M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	975.65M	968.76M	990.34M	980.52M	884.26M	845.45M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	49.48M	17.27M	53.21M	80.60M	56.99M	66.13M
Total Debt	250.00K	578.00K	249.00K	710.00K	540.00K	918.00K
Total Liabilities	207.45M	200.84M	232.95M	276.60M	232.59M	225.12M
Stockholders Equity	768.20M	767.92M	757.39M	703.92M	651.68M	620.33M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	-71.70M	-98.42M	-76.18M	42.87M	-28.09M	16.55M
Operating Cash Flow	111.70M	134.81M	164.38M	219.49M	171.20M	189.60M
Investing Cash Flow	-80.63M	-152.14M	-172.54M	-134.96M	-123.73M	-106.33M
Financing Cash Flow	-19.57M	-18.62M	-19.23M	-60.93M	-56.60M	-48.61M

Marten Transport Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Positive
• Last Price: 10.26
• 50DMA: Positive
• 100DMA: Positive
• 200DMA: Negative
• MACD: Negative
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For MRTN, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 10.26 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 10.98, below the 50-day MA of 10.42, and below the 200-day MA of 12.02, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of 0.40 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 64.53 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 55.00 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for MRTN.

Marten Transport Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
WERN	67 Neutral	$1.81B	74.46	1.78%	1.85%	-3.42%	-43.86%
ARCB	66 Neutral	$1.77B	18.61	7.40%	0.61%	-5.34%	-48.16%
CVLG	64 Neutral	$566.57M	19.11	6.84%	1.24%	1.62%	-22.52%
Sector *	63 Neutral	$10.79B	15.43	7.44%	2.01%	2.89%	-14.66%
MRTN	58 Neutral	$934.22M	48.19	2.53%	2.09%	-9.74%	-42.57%
HTLD	58 Neutral	$695.48M	-20.13	-4.35%	0.87%	-19.56%	-54.39%
ULH	52 Neutral	$419.17M	-10.40	-6.66%	2.64%	-7.55%	-130.67%

Marten Transport Corporate Events

Marten Transport Reports Q3 2025 Income Decline

Marten Transport reported a decrease in net income for the third quarter of 2025, with earnings of $2.2 million compared to $3.8 million in the same period of 2024. Operating revenue also declined from $237.4 million to $220.5 million year-over-year. The company attributes the financial pressure to the prolonged freight market recession, inflationary costs, and disruptions in freight networks. Despite these challenges, Marten remains focused on maintaining a strong, debt-free balance sheet and investing in technology and fleet modernization to capitalize on future growth opportunities. The company also finalized the sale of its intermodal business to Hub Group, Inc. for $51.8 million, emphasizing its commitment to core operations.

Marten Transport CEO Timothy Kohl Retires

Marten Transport announced that its CEO, Timothy M. Kohl, will retire on September 30, 2025. In connection with his retirement, Kohl entered into a separation agreement with the company, which includes a severance package of $620,000 and COBRA coverage for up to three months. The agreement also outlines obligations for cooperation, non-disparagement, confidentiality, and non-solicitation.