Head-To-Head Survey: Marten Transport (NASDAQ:MRTN) vs. Pamt (NASDAQ:PAMT)

Marten Transport (NASDAQ:MRTN) and Pamt (NASDAQ:PAMT) are both small-cap transportation companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership, earnings and risk.

Volatility & Risk

Marten Transport has a beta of 0.83, suggesting that its stock price is 17% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Pamt has a beta of 1.22, suggesting that its stock price is 22% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations for Marten Transport and Pamt, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Marten Transport	0	2	1	0	2.33
Pamt	0	1	0	0	2.00

Marten Transport presently has a consensus target price of $19.33, suggesting a potential upside of 35.48%. Pamt has a consensus target price of $16.50, suggesting a potential upside of 28.50%. Given Marten Transport’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Marten Transport is more favorable than Pamt.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Marten Transport and Pamt”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Marten Transport	$963.71 million	1.21	$26.92 million	$0.34	41.97
Pamt	$714.65 million	0.39	-$31.80 million	($1.46)	-8.79

Marten Transport has higher revenue and earnings than Pamt. Pamt is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Marten Transport, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

69.1% of Marten Transport shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 22.1% of Pamt shares are owned by institutional investors. 22.9% of Marten Transport shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 27.2% of Pamt shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Marten Transport and Pamt’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Marten Transport	2.79%	3.52%	2.71%
Pamt	-4.45%	-2.58%	-1.07%

Summary

Marten Transport beats Pamt on 12 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Marten Transport

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. The Dedicated segment offers customized transportation solutions for individual customers' requirements using temperature-controlled trailers, dry vans, and other specialized equipment. The Intermodal segment transports customers' freight utilizing its refrigerated containers and temperature-controlled trailers on railroad flatcars for portions of trips, as well as using tractors and contracted carriers. The Brokerage segment develops contractual relationships with and arranges for third-party carriers to transport freight for customers in temperature-controlled trailers and dry vans. As of December 31, 2023, the company operated a fleet of 3,349 tractors, that included 3,255 company-owned tractors and 94 tractors supplied by independent contractors. Marten Transport, Ltd. was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Mondovi, Wisconsin.

About Pamt

PAMT Corp. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of truckload and logistics services through its subsidiaries. Its freight consists primarily of automotive parts, expedited goods, consumer goods, such as general retail store merchandise, and manufactured goods, such as heating and air conditioning units. The company was founded in June 1986 and is headquartered in Tontitown, AR.