MRTN

Marten Transport, Ltd. recently reported weaker Q1 2026 results as a soft freight market and higher fuel costs reduced profitability, even as the company remained debt-free with US$74.8 million in cash and escrow and maintained its US$0.06 per share quarterly dividend, payable on June 30, 2026. A series of stock grants and salary increases for directors and senior executives, tied to long-term performance-based vesting, shows the board reinforcing equity-linked compensation even as bonuses are now tied to unadjusted net income under the updated Executive Officer Performance Incentive Plan. Against this backdrop, we’ll examine how weaker Q1 earnings amid higher fuel costs shape Marten Transport’s broader investment narrative for investors. Uncover the next big thing with 26 elite penny stocks that balance risk and reward. To own Marten Transport today, you have to be comfortable with a business that is under real near term earnings pressure yet still leaning into long term capacity and leadership. The weak Q1 2026 numbers, driven by a soft freight market and higher fuel costs, keep profitability and low net margins front and center as the key short term swing factors, while the company’s decision to stay debt free, fund around US$100 million of planned capex, and maintain its US$0.06 dividend frames the current investment trade off. The fresh wave of performance based stock grants and salary bumps, even as bonuses are tied to unadjusted net income, sharpens the focus on execution risk: any prolonged margin squeeze or fallout from the US$20 million Texas verdict could matter more now than the latest price rebound suggests. However, investors should be aware of how thinner margins and litigation could pressure flexibility. Marten Transport's shares are on the way up, but could they be overextended? Uncover how much higher they are than fair value. The single US$17.00 fair value from the Simply Wall St Community contrasts with Marten’s rich earnings multiple and slim margins. When you weigh that against weaker Q1 profitability and higher fuel costs, you can see why many readers might want to examine several views on how sustainable this setup really is. Explore another fair value estimate on Marten Transport - why the stock might be worth just $17.00! Disagree with this assessment? Extraordinary investment returns rarely come from following the herd, so go with...

MONDOVI, Wis., May 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marten Transport, Ltd. (Nasdaq/GS:MRTN) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.06 per share of common stock. The dividend will be payable on June 30, 2026 to stockholders of record at the close of business on June 16, 2026. This is Marten’s 64th consecutive quarterly cash dividend. With the payment of this dividend, Marten will have paid a total of $281.0 million in cash dividends, including special dividends totaling $134.9 million in 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2012, since the dividend program was implemented in 2010. Marten Transport, with headquarters in Mondovi, Wis., is a multifaceted business offering a network of time and temperature-sensitive and dry truck-based transportation and distribution capabilities across the Company’s five distinct business platforms – Temperature-Sensitive and Dry Truckload, Dedicated, Brokerage and MRTN de Mexico. Marten is one of the leading temperature-sensitive truckload carriers in the United States, specializing in transporting and distributing food, beverages and other consumer packaged goods that require a temperature-controlled or insulated environment. The Company offers service in the United States, Mexico and Canada, concentrating on expedited movements for high-volume customers. Marten’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol MRTN. This press release contains certain statements that may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including Marten’s current expectations concerning future payment of dividends. These statements by their nature involve substantial risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. Important factors known to Marten that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements are discussed in Part I, Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025. Marten undertakes no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. CONTACTS: Randy Marten, Chairman of the Board and Chief...

MONDOVI, Wis., April 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marten Transport, Ltd. (Nasdaq/GS:MRTN) today reported net income of $1.4 million, or 2 cents per diluted share, for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026, compared with $4.3 million, or 5 cents per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2025. Operating revenue was $203.5 million for the first quarter of 2026 compared with $223.2 million for the first quarter of 2025. Our intermodal operations, which were sold in 2025, had operating revenue of $12.1 million in the 2025 quarter. Excluding fuel surcharges, operating revenue was $177.2 million for the 2026 quarter compared with $195.8 million for the 2025 quarter. Fuel surcharge revenue decreased to $26.4 million for the 2026 quarter from $27.4 million for the 2025 quarter. Operating income was $1.6 million for the first quarter of 2026 compared with $5.9 million for the first quarter of 2025. Operating expenses as a percentage of operating revenue were 99.2% for the 2026 first quarter and 97.4% for the 2025 first quarter. Operating expenses as a percentage of operating revenue, with both amounts net of fuel surcharges, were 99.1% for the 2026 quarter and 97.0% for the 2025 quarter. Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Randolph L. Marten stated, “Our people drove sequential increases in our revenue per tractor within our truckload and dedicated operations each of the last two quarters. This impact on our earnings was more than offset by the prolonged severe winter storms and the sharp spike in diesel prices in the first quarter.” “Our unique multifaceted business model’s value continued to be highlighted by the operating results of our dedicated and brokerage operations. Our earnings have been heavily pressured by the historic duration and depth of the freight market recession’s oversupply and weak demand, and the cumulative impact of inflationary operating costs, freight rate reductions and freight network disruptions.” “We are focused on minimizing the freight market’s impact with our emphasis on safe, premium service, data-driven operating efficiencies and aggressive cost controls. Our strong, debt-free balance sheet enhances our ability to continue investing in our technology and modern fleet and position our operations to capitalize on improving profitable organic growth opportunities.” “We believe that the freight market is in the early stag...

Marten Transport, Ltd. (MRTN) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.02 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.03 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.05 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -33.33%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post earnings of $0.03 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.05, delivering a surprise of +66.67%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates just once. Marten Transport, which belongs to the Zacks Transportation - Truck industry, posted revenues of $203.53 million for the quarter ended March 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $223.15 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Marten Transport shares have added about 29.6% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 4.3%. While Marten Transport has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Marten Transport was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Z...

MONDOVI, Wis., Feb. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marten Transport, Ltd. (Nasdaq/GS:MRTN) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.06 per share of common stock. The dividend will be payable on March 31, 2026 to stockholders of record at the close of business on March 17, 2026. This is Marten’s 63rd consecutive quarterly cash dividend. With the payment of this dividend, Marten will have paid a total of $276.1 million in cash dividends, including special dividends totaling $134.9 million in 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2012, since the dividend program was implemented in 2010. Marten Transport, with headquarters in Mondovi, Wis., is a multifaceted business offering a network of time and temperature-sensitive and dry truck-based transportation and distribution capabilities across the Company’s five distinct business platforms – Temperature-Sensitive and Dry Truckload, Dedicated, Brokerage and MRTN de Mexico. Marten is one of the leading temperature-sensitive truckload carriers in the United States, specializing in transporting and distributing food, beverages and other consumer packaged goods that require a temperature-controlled or insulated environment. The Company offers service in the United States, Mexico and Canada, concentrating on expedited movements for high-volume customers. Marten’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol MRTN. This press release contains certain statements that may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including Marten’s current expectations concerning future payment of dividends. These statements by their nature involve substantial risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. Important factors known to Marten that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements are discussed in Part I, Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. Marten undertakes no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. CONTACTS: Randy Marten, Chairman of the Board and Chi...

MONDOVI, Wis., Jan. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marten Transport, Ltd. (Nasdaq/GS:MRTN) today reported net income of $3.7 million, or 5 cents per diluted share, for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2025, compared with $5.6 million, or 7 cents per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2024. The 2025 fourth-quarter earnings improved 66.1% sequentially from 2025 third-quarter net income of $2.2 million, or 3 cents per diluted share. For the year ended December 31, 2025, net income was $17.4 million, or 21 cents per diluted share, compared with $26.9 million, or 33 cents per diluted share, for 2024. Operating revenue was $210.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2025 compared with $230.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2024. Excluding fuel surcharges, operating revenue was $185.5 million for the 2025 quarter compared with $202.9 million for the 2024 quarter. Fuel surcharge revenue decreased to $24.7 million for the 2025 quarter from $27.6 million for the 2024 quarter. Operating revenue was $883.7 million for 2025 compared with $963.7 million for 2024. Excluding fuel surcharges, operating revenue was $779.0 million for 2025 compared with $840.0 million for 2024. Fuel surcharge revenue decreased to $104.7 million for 2025 from $123.7 million for 2024. Operating income was $4.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2025 compared with $6.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2024. The 2025 fourth-quarter operating income improved 67.3% from operating income of $2.7 million for the third quarter of 2025. Operating income was $22.9 million for 2025 compared with $33.2 million for 2024. Operating expenses as a percentage of operating revenue were 97.8% for the 2025 fourth quarter and 97.1% for the 2024 fourth quarter. Operating expenses as a percentage of operating revenue, with both amounts net of fuel surcharges, were 97.5% for the 2025 fourth quarter and 96.7% for the 2024 fourth quarter, compared with 98.6% for the third quarter of 2025. Operating expenses as a percentage of operating revenue were 97.4% for 2025 and 96.6% for 2024. Operating expenses as a percentage of operating revenue, with both amounts net of fuel surcharges, were 97.1% for 2025 and 96.0% for 2024. Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Randolph L. Marten stated, “We are encouraged by the sequential improvement in our profitability. Our people also drove sequential increases this...

Marten Transport, Ltd. (MRTN) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.05 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.03 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.07 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +66.67%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post earnings of $0.04 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.03, delivering a surprise of -25%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates just once. Marten Transport, which belongs to the Zacks Transportation - Truck industry, posted revenues of $210.11 million for the quarter ended December 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.50%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $230.43 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Marten Transport shares have added about 9.7% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 1.5%. While Marten Transport has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Marten Transport was unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today'...

Truckload carrier Marten Transport reported earnings for the fourth quarter that reflected the first stirrings of freight market economics improvement that were evident at the end of 2025. While the company’s net income and operating ratios were weaker than in the fourth quarter of 2024, sequentially Marten (NASDAQ: MRTN) had mostly better numbers than the third quarter, which it touted in the prepared statement issued in conjunction with the earnings release. “We are encouraged by the sequential improvement in our profitability,” chairman and CEO Randolph Marten said in the statement. “Our people also drove sequential increases this quarter in our revenue per tractor, rate per total mile and miles per tractor within each of our truckload and dedicated operations.” Sequentially, Marten posted net income of 5 cents/share in the fourth quarter, up from 3 cts/share in the third quarter. Net income in the fourth quarter of 2024 was 7 cents/share. One reason for the improved profitability: cost control. Third quarter revenue was $220.4 million, dropping to $210.1 million in the fourth quarter. But salaries, wages and benefits declined sequentially to $75.7 million from $79 million, and purchased transportation dropped to $36 million from $42.3 million. That helped overcome a decline in revenue to $210.1 million from $220.4 million in the third quarter. The cost control was also evident in year-on-year comparisons. Salaries, wages and benefits were down 8.6% year-on-year, and purchased transportation was down 8.1%. But year-on-year, that drop in expenses could not overcome an 8.6% decline in revenue. The end result was that fourth quarter 2025 net income of $3.7 million was a 34% decline in net income year-on-year from $5.6 million a year earlier. The biggest improvement sequentially at Marten was in its operating ratio (OR) net of fuel for its Truckload segment. That figure was 102.2% in the third quarter but improved to 99.1% in the fourth quarter. The Truckload segment turned a third quarter operating loss of just over $2 million into a $783,000 operating profit in the fourth quarter. The sequential improvement was not across the board. In Marten’s Dedicated segment, a third quarter OR net of fuel of 94% deteriorated slightly to 94.6%. There also was a deterioration in the company’s OR in brokerage, widening out to 98% from 95.9% in the third quarter. Dedicated...

Marten Transport, Ltd. (NASDAQ:MRTN) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 22% in the last quarter. But that cannot eclipse the less-than-impressive returns over the last three years. In fact, the share price is down 36% in the last three years, falling well short of the market return. Although the past week has been more reassuring for shareholders, they're still in the red over the last three years, so let's see if the underlying business has been responsible for the decline. This technology could replace computers: discover the 20 stocks are working to make quantum computing a reality. There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement. Marten Transport saw its EPS decline at a compound rate of 44% per year, over the last three years. This fall in the EPS is worse than the 14% compound annual share price fall. This suggests that the market retains some optimism around long term earnings stability, despite past EPS declines. With a P/E ratio of 54.05, it's fair to say the market sees a brighter future for the business. The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Marten Transport's earnings, revenue and cash flow. When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of Marten Transport, it has a TSR of -33% for the last 3 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder r...

MONDOVI, Wis., Nov. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marten Transport, Ltd. (Nasdaq/GS:MRTN) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.06 per share of common stock. The dividend will be payable on December 29, 2025 to stockholders of record at the close of business on December 15, 2025. This is Marten’s 62nd consecutive quarterly cash dividend. With the payment of this dividend, Marten will have paid a total of $271.2 million in cash dividends, including special dividends totaling $134.9 million in 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2012, since the dividend program was implemented in 2010. Marten Transport, with headquarters in Mondovi, Wis., is a multifaceted business offering a network of time and temperature-sensitive and dry truck-based transportation and distribution capabilities across the Company’s five distinct business platforms – Temperature-Sensitive and Dry Truckload, Dedicated, Brokerage and MRTN de Mexico. Marten is one of the leading temperature-sensitive truckload carriers in the United States, specializing in transporting and distributing food, beverages and other consumer packaged goods that require a temperature-controlled or insulated environment. The Company offers service in the United States, Mexico and Canada, concentrating on expedited movements for high-volume customers. Marten’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol MRTN. This press release contains certain statements that may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including Marten’s current expectations concerning future payment of dividends. These statements by their nature involve substantial risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. Important factors known to Marten that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements are discussed in Part I, Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. Marten undertakes no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. CONTACTS: Randy Marten, Chairman of the Board a...

Marten Transport’s Truckload segment, which provided a little less than 48% of its earnings in the third quarter, had a negative operating ratio (OR) during the period for the third time in the last five quarters, though the company overall remained profitable. In an earnings release delayed about a week after its normal date–Marten (NASDAQ: MRTN) usually comes out with its earnings right after the leader of the trucking pack, J.B. Hunt–the company also reported that the OR net of fuel in its Truckload group was the worst of the last five quarters, going back to the corresponding quarter of 2024. Sequentially, starting with the third quarter of 2024, the OR in the Truckload segment at Marten has been 100.2%, 98%, 100.3%, 97.5% and 102.2% in the just completed quarter. The weaker performance of the Truckload segment could be seen in a compilation of data points. Its average revenue net of fuel per tractor per week dropped about 1.4% to $4,129. Average tractors were down about 2% to 1,661. Average miles per trip dropped about 470 to 508. And total miles declined a little more than 3% to 38,081. But Marten recorded improvements in its Dedicated segment which helped lead to the overall profitability. Dedicated recorded an OR of 94%, compared to 95.1% a year earlier. Sequentially, the Dedicated OR net of fuel was 91.1% in the second quarter. The improvement in the Dedicated OR on an operating basis came in part from the average revenue net of fuel per tractor per week rising to $3,776 from $3,693. The improved OR in Dedicated came despite total miles dropping 2.9% to 23.2 million. Marten’s sale of its intermodal division to Hub Group (NASDAQ: HUBG) closed September 30. The beleaguered segment had an OR of 103.5% in the quarter. But that was actually a significant improvement from a year ago, when it came in at a whopping 112.5%. The sale to Hub Group included more than 1,200 refrigerated containers. That was reflected in the earnings as the line of “total refrigerated trailers” dropping to zero. The third quarter was the final quarter Marten will report an intermodal segment. The quarter’s revenue of $9.85 million was about 4% of total revenue. The brokerage division weakened to an OR of 95.9% from 92.6%, with an 8.3% decrease in the number of loads it handled to 2,823. Revenue was down 1.6% to $38.78 million. Net income at Marten declined 40.7% to $2.226 million...

MONDOVI, Wis., Oct. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marten Transport, Ltd. (Nasdaq/GS:MRTN) today reported net income of $2.2 million, or 3 cents per diluted share, for the third quarter ended September 30, 2025, compared with $3.8 million, or 5 cents per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2024. For the nine-month period ended September 30, 2025, net income was $13.7 million, or 17 cents per diluted share, compared with $21.3 million, or 26 cents per diluted share, for the 2024 nine-month period. Operating revenue was $220.5 million for the third quarter of 2025 compared with $237.4 million for the third quarter of 2024. Excluding fuel surcharges, operating revenue was $194.0 million for the 2025 quarter compared with $207.9 million for the 2024 quarter. Fuel surcharge revenue decreased to $26.5 million for the 2025 quarter from $29.5 million for the 2024 quarter. Operating revenue was $673.5 million for the first nine months of 2025 compared with $733.3 million for the first nine months of 2024. Excluding fuel surcharges, operating revenue was $593.5 million for the 2025 period compared with $637.1 million for the 2024 period. Fuel surcharge revenue decreased to $80.0 million for the 2025 period from $96.1 million for the 2024 period. Operating income was $2.7 million for the third quarter of 2025 compared with $4.3 million for the third quarter of 2024. Operating income was $18.3 million for the first nine months of 2025 compared with $26.5 million for the first nine months of 2024. Operating expenses as a percentage of operating revenue were 98.8% for the 2025 quarter and 98.2% for the 2024 quarter. Operating expenses as a percentage of operating revenue, with both amounts net of fuel surcharges, were 98.6% for the 2025 quarter and 97.9% for the 2024 quarter. Operating expenses as a percentage of operating revenue were 97.3% for the first nine months of 2025 and 96.4% for the first nine months of 2024. Operating expenses as a percentage of operating revenue, with both amounts net of fuel surcharges, were 96.9% for the 2025 period and 95.8% for the 2024 period. Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Randolph L. Marten stated, “Our earnings have continued to be significantly pressured by the historic duration and depth of the freight market recession’s oversupply and weak demand -- and the cumulative impact of inflationary operating costs, unac...