Pamt (NASDAQ:PAMT) vs. Marten Transport (NASDAQ:MRTN) Head to Head Analysis

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

Insider & Institutional Ownership

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

Valuation & Earnings

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

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Pamt	$714.65 million	0.42	-$31.80 million	($1.46)	-9.36
Marten Transport	$963.71 million	1.21	$26.92 million	$0.34	42.24

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.

Volatility and Risk

Pamt has a beta of 1.15, indicating that its share price is 15% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Marten Transport has a beta of 0.84, indicating that its share price is 16% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

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

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

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Pamt and Marten Transport, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

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

Pamt presently has a consensus target price of $16.50, suggesting a potential upside of 20.70%. Marten Transport has a consensus target price of $19.33, suggesting a potential upside of 34.63%. Given Marten Transport’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Marten Transport is more favorable than Pamt.

Summary

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

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.

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.