Fact based stock research
Marten Transport (NasdaqGS:MRTN)

US5730751089

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For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".

Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".

Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.

Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.

(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).

(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.

Marten Transport stock research in summary

marten.com

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 54 (better than 54% compared with investment alternatives), Marten Transport (Trucking, USA) shares have above-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Marten Transport are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 40 (worse than 60% of alternatives) and show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 8) but are safely financed (Safety Rank of 76), which means low debt burdens. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 54, is a buy recommendation based on Marten Transport's financial characteristics. As the company Marten Transport's critical financial metrics exhibit below-average performance, such as low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 40) and low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 8), it is a somewhat questionable stock investment, where the risk of paying too much for the shares is significant, unless the company has an exceptionally bright future. In this case, good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 76) are a positive sign, because it may allow the company to weather challenging times until the hoped-for cash flows materialize. This may be true for high-tech or biotechnology companies with enough cash to sustain prolonged business development. If they own properties that only provide cash flows in the future, the stock may look excessively expensive and unattractive today. In such cases, the Obermatt Method has limited value, as it is based on facts we can observe today. If the facts lie all in the future, stock investing becomes guesswork, and this should only be a driver in a limited number of investments that account for a small fraction of a safe portfolio. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more

Latest Obermatt Ranks


360° View^new
Sentiment Rank^new
Value Rank	40
Growth Rank	8
Safety Rank	76
Combined Rank	54

Country	USA
Industry	Trucking
Index	Sound Pay USA, NASDAQ
Size class	Large

19-Dec-2024. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.

Further information

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Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.

Research History: Marten Transport

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	78	61	37	40
GROWTH
GROWTH	19	10	33	8
SAFETY
SAFETY	92	92	92	76
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	n/a	79	88	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	n/a	46	55	^new

Most recent update of the stock research: 19-Dec-2024. Financial reporting date used for calculating ranks: 30-Sep-2024. Stock research history is based on the Obermatt Method. The higher the rank, the better Marten Transport is in the corresponding investment strategy.
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Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	78	61	37	40
GROWTH
GROWTH	19	10	33	8
SAFETY
SAFETY	92	92	92	76
COMBINED
COMBINED	81	94	94	54

Last update of combined financial performance: 4-Jul-2024. Stock analysis on combined financial performance: The higher the rank of Marten Transport the better the performance.

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 40 (worse than 60% compared with alternatives), Marten Transport shares are more expensive than the average comparable stock. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for Marten Transport. Expected dividend yields are higher than for 67% of comparable companies (a Dividend Yield rank of 67), making the stock attractive. The same is valid for Price-to-Book Capital (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Book Rank of 61, which means that the stock price is lower compared with invested capital than for 61% of comparable investments. But in respect to sales and profits, the picture is reversed. Price-to-Sales is 32 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than for 68% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Marten Transport's sales levels. The Price-to-Profit ratio (also referred to as price-earnings (P/E) ratio) is also unfavorable for Marten Transport with a rank of 12. This means that the stock price, compared with what market professionals expect for future profits, is higher than for 88% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Marten Transport's profit levels. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 40, is a hold recommendation based on Marten Transport's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. The company seems confident that it can generate a reasonable return on invested capital, because it pays an above-average dividend while profits are below what you would expect for a company with this stock price. If you agree with this practice and believe that profits will return to higher levels, as the current dividend policy suggests, Marten Transport may be an attractive investment. If this is not the case, you may want to be careful with this stock as it is also expensive compared with its expected revenue levels. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision, which is essential in this case, as the financial indicators are inconclusive. ...read more

VALUE METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)	73	45	30	32
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	62	59	35	12
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	48	55	40	61
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	79	64	65	67
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	78	61	37	40

Last update of Value Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on value ratios: The higher the rank, the lower the value ratio of Marten Transport; except for dividend yield where the rank is higher, the higher the yield.

Growth Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 8 (better than 8% compared with alternatives), Marten Transport shows one of the most restricted growth dynamics in its industry. There is little momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for Marten Transport. Only Capital Growth has a good rank of 52, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its invested capital more than 17% of its competitors. The other three indicators are pointing South: Sales Growth has a rank of 40 which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow less than 60% of its competitors. Profit Growth with a rank of 17 and Stock Returns with a rank of 18 are also low (below 82% of alternative investments). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 8, is a sell recommendation for growth and momentum investors. The good news from the invested capital side is surprising. A company with disappointing revenues, profits, and disappointed shareholders typically doesn't invest above average. Overall, the growth momentum for Marten Transport is thus negative. As it is intriguing to see that company executives are optimistic about their investment policy, it is worthwhile looking into the details of the capital investment projects. They may indicate future growth and profits and thus if accompanied by a good value, a sign of good timing to invest in the stock. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is limited here. ...read more

GROWTH METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH	31	45	28	40
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	32	25	45	17
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	n/a	39	38	52
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	25	23	45	18
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	19	10	33	8

Last update of Growth Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on growth metrics: The higher the rank, the higher the growth and returns of Marten Transport.

Safety Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 76 (better than 76% compared with alternatives) for 2024, the company Marten Transport has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of Marten Transport is safe, it only means that the company is on the safer side regarding possible bankruptcy, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators where two out of three are above average for Marten Transport.Leverage is at 100, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 100% of its competitors.Refinancing is at a rank of 68, meaning that the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 68% of its competitors. Liquidity is at 1, meaning that the company generates less profit to service its debt than 99% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is on the riskier side regarding debt service. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 76 (better than 76% compared with alternatives), Marten Transport has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. Low leverage and low refinancing risk mean a safer financing situation. However, low liquidity means that current company cash flows are low in relation to the level of debt. This is a sign of caution in case it is expected for profits to remain low. Investors should compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before deciding. They may also want to investigate why cash flows are expected to be low, making debt service for Marten Transport more challenging. ...read more

SAFETY METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE	96	100	100	100
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	29	46	68	68
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	89	97	97	1
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	92	92	92	76

Last update of Safety Rank: 4-Jul-2024. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of Marten Transport and the more cash is available to service its debt.

Sentiment Metrics in Detail

SENTIMENT	2021	2022	2023	2024
ANALYST OPINIONS
ANALYST OPINIONS	n/a	36	79	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	n/a	4	50	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	n/a	82	51	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	n/a	98	97	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	n/a	79	88	^new

Last update of Sentiment Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on sentiment metrics: The higher the rank, the more positive the sentiment for Marten Transport.
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