Marten Transport Ltd. Common Stock (MRTN)

FairStock Score: 15/100 — RISKY

Key Financials

Strengths

• Strong Piotroski F-Score of 7/9 indicating robust financial health across profitability, leverage, and efficiency metrics
• Conservative balance sheet with debt-to-equity of just 0.00, providing financial flexibility
• Altman Z-Score of 5.4 confirms minimal bankruptcy risk and strong solvency

Concerns

• Trades significantly above Graham Number ($7) with negative 124% margin of safety—limited downside protection
• Revenue declining at 8.8% year-over-year signals potential demand weakness or market share loss

AI Analysis

Marten Transport Ltd. Common Stock is a micro-cap industrials company valued at $1.2 billion. The business generates $884 million in annual revenue with a 0.2% net margin. From a quality standpoint, Marten shows solid Piotroski F-Score of 7/9 and Altman Z-Score of 5.4 confirms fortress-level solvency. On valuation, the stock is commanding a steep 70.6x multiple, with trades far above its Graham Number ($7) with no margin of safety. Growth dynamics show revenue growing at -8.8% and profit growth of -34.4%. The 1.6% dividend yield adds an income component for patient holders. Our composite FairStock Score of 15/100 reflects below-average fundamentals overall. Investors should weigh the business quality against the current price and their own margin of safety requirements.

Bull Case

Improving fundamentals and sector tailwinds could drive meaningful earnings growth, compressing the effective multiple for patient investors. Operational leverage in the business model means incremental revenue growth could disproportionately boost bottom-line profitability.

Bear Case

At 71x earnings, any growth disappointment triggers rapid multiple compression—a 20% earnings miss plus multiple contraction to 20x implies 40%+ downside. Regulatory changes, input cost inflation, or demand normalization represent underappreciated risks that could materially impact forward estimates.

Data from SEC filings. AI analysis is for educational purposes only — not investment advice. Scoring methodology · Disclaimer