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

Matson (NYSE:MATX) posted its earnings results on Tuesday. The shipping company reported $4.60 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.69 by $0.91, FiscalAI reports. Matson had a return on equity of 16.81% and a net margin of 13.30%.The firm had revenue of $851.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $847.30 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.80 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year.

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 Price Performance

NYSE:MATX traded down $0.62 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $169.43. 79,899 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 294,699. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 0.83. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $146.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $119.35. Matson has a 1 year low of $86.97 and a 1 year high of $177.51. The company has a market cap of $5.28 billion, a PE ratio of 12.18 and a beta of 1.35.

Matson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 5th will be issued a dividend of $0.36 per share. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 5th. Matson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.96%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Matson during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new stake in Matson during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Matson during the fourth quarter worth approximately $67,000. Gilpin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Matson in the 4th quarter worth approximately $68,000. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Matson in the 1st quarter valued at $78,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.76% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on MATX. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Matson in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Stephens upped their price target on Matson from $190.00 to $213.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $167.00 price target on shares of Matson in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Matson currently has a consensus 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.