Should You Expect a Demand Recovery for Matson (MATX)?
In its second quarter 2025 investor letter, The London Company Small Cap Strategy highlighted stocks such as Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX). Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX) provides ocean transportation and logistics services. The one-month return of Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX) was -5.68%, and its shares lost 18.35% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On July 28, 2025, Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX) stock closed at $107.92 per share, with a market capitalization of $3.523 billion.
The London Company Small Cap Strategy stated the following regarding Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX) in its second quarter 2025 investor letter:
"Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX) – MATX was a bottom name due to concerns around tariff-related uncertainties impacting China. Markets that are protected by the Jones Act, which form the majority of its business, remain stable and offer a buffer against tariff-related uncertainties in China. Management is focused on maintaining reliable, on-time shipping, expecting a demand recovery as inventories dwindle."
A processional line of imposing cargo ships in a large port, capturing the scope of the company's ocean transportation business.
Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX) is not on our list of 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 31 hedge fund portfolios held Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX) at the end of the first quarter, which was 36 in the previous quarter. In Q1 2025, Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX) reported a remarkable year-over-year net income growth of 100.3%, reaching $72.3 million, with diluted earnings per share increasing 109.6% to $2.18. While we acknowledge the potential of Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.
In another article, we covered Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX) and shared the list of best shipping and container stocks to invest in. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q2 2025 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.
READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
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San Francisco Chronicle
27 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
I'm retiring in 7 years. Do I need to Trump-proof my assets?
Reader Christian in Oakland asks: I'm in my 50s and planning to retire in seven years. Does Trump represent a systemic risk to the economy that should be reflected in my retirement plan's asset allocation, i.e., reducing my exposure to U.S. stocks broadly now? Presidents come and presidents go, and the markets rise and fall. A durable retirement portfolio should be able to weather it all. And everyone who's approaching retirement should be making plans to de-risk their asset allocation. First, let's talk about that de-risking process. Like everything about investing and retirement, there's no one-size-fits-all approach. The fundamentals of risk reduction Broadly speaking, you want some portion of your investments in bonds and other low-risk vehicles. JL Collins, the author of 'The Simple Path to Wealth,' said he recommends starting to move some percentage of your investments to bonds about five years before you plan to retire, scaling up depending on your tolerance for risk, but never having less than 50% of your total investments in stocks. Christine Benz, the director of personal finance and retirement planning for Morningstar and the author of the book 'How to Retire: 20 Lessons for a Happy, Successful and Wealthy Retirement,' said she advises people to start thinking about de-risking their portfolio around age 50. Statistically speaking, most people think they'll work longer than they actually end up working, she said, so it makes sense to start hedging your planned retirement age well ahead of your desired timeline. However, that's not to say you should dump half your stocks once you hit the half-century mark. It should be a slow, measured transition toward what you want your finances to look like when you clock out for the last time. For what that financial picture should look like, she's written about what's known as the bucket approach: Bucket 1 is enough liquid funds to cover a year's worth of expenses (two if you're risk-averse), minus guaranteed funds coming in from sources such as Social Security, pensions or annuities; Bucket 2 has primarily low-risk investments to cover five to eight years of expenses; and the rest goes into Bucket 3, which consists of high-risk, high-reward investments like stocks. Brian Pollak is a partner and portfolio manager at Evercore Wealth Management, which handles primarily clients with net worth of more than $10 million. He said even for very wealthy people, it makes sense to diversify into short- and long-term bonds. As for international stocks, it's certainly not a bad idea to own some, no matter how far you are from retirement. Both Benz and Pollak recommend people maintain a blend of stock investments that roughly mirrors the global market capitalization of the national and international markets. The U.S. represents around two-thirds of it, so have two-thirds of your stocks in the U.S. market. Collins advocates for a simpler investment strategy that focuses on the U.S. market, though he's written that he's not inherently opposed to owning foreign stock. So: With retirement on the horizon, should you diversify? Yes. Should you diversify into international stocks? It could fit nicely into your overall investment strategy. The S&P 500 typically outperforms global equities, though certainly not always, and international stocks have done better so far in 2025. What about the Trump factor? But does Trump present such an existential risk to the long-term health of the U.S. economy that it should make you move away from U.S. stocks? It's true that Trump 2.0 has included a lot of policy decisions that most market watchers aren't thrilled about. Crackdowns on immigration strangle the labor supply in industries including construction and agriculture, both of which are incredibly important in California. The tariff turbulence from 'Liberation Day' in April sent the market into bear territory, though it seems to be shrugging off the latest round of levies that kicked in last week. Those are policy decisions that have historically increased inflation, something Trump campaigned on fighting. But the thing about policy decisions is that bad outcomes can be reversed, either by this president or whoever comes into office next. What's more concerning, experts say, is Trump's recent decision to fire Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer. Trump, who has a documented history of making false or misleading statements about people he views as political opponents, claimed without evidence that the agency's recent negative jobs report was 'rigged' against him. Historically, there has been a division between members of a presidential administration and the bureaucrats who put together reports like that, said Jim Wilcox, a professor of the graduate school at UC Berkeley and the former chief economist at the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and economist at the Board of Governors for the Federal Reserve. The political appointee who runs the Department of Labor may advocate for presidential policy priorities like labor laws, union rules or pension reform, he said. But the hard numbers on things like employment reports were 'considered out of bounds' for partisan tampering. 'That's one reason that financial markets pay so much attention to these data, because they are so informative and reliable and unbiased,' he said. Now, that's at risk. Odysseas Papadimitriou, the CEO of WalletHub, said he saw this play out in his native Greece ahead of the country's debt crisis and economic collapse. 'The people responsible for the economic statistics were essentially political operatives' in Greece, he said. 'The government wanted to manipulate the stats to their liking. When the financial crisis came all of this changed. It's very concerning if we get to the place where we don't believe the stats.' Trump's decision to remove McEntarfer 'is the most concerning of anything that he has done, economic-wise,' Papadimitriou said. If we 'come to the place where we cannot believe the statistics, then I believe that is an existential threat (to the economy). Investors will not believe what they see. Foreign investment will collapse because no one will know what the hell is going on.' The president's pressure to replace Jerome Powell as head of the Federal Reserve is also a cause for concern. Like the BLS, the Fed is meant to operate outside of political whims, and if Trump installs someone there whose chief concern is keeping him happy, we could lose the progress we've made in the post-pandemic economy. Another move that caused a stir Friday was Trump's executive order opening the door to putting higher-risk private equity and cryptocurrency investments into 401(k)s. But those are risks to keep an eye on, not current reality. Collins said while there are a lot of things about the Trump administration that have him concerned about the near future of the economy, investors should 'tune out the noise' and stick to their long-term plan. It's fair to assume the market will go down at some point. What the specific catalyst will be is really anyone's guess. Attempting to time the market — in this case, hedging your retirement plans on the American economy's downfall — rarely works out. You should diversify in a way that makes you feel comfortable about your capability to hang in there through a protracted dip until the markets come back up, which they historically always have.


CNBC
29 minutes ago
- CNBC
Trump's 'no tax on tips' raises worker questions: One bartender says it feels 'too good to be true'
Maddy Lopez, a bartender in Los Angeles, has spent 25 years working in the restaurant industry, where tips can make up a significant portion of a worker's income. When she heard about President Donald Trump's "big beautiful bill," which includes a section called "no tax on tips," she said her first reaction was: "It's a little too good to be true." Lopez said that in her experience, tax breaks often seem to include "a catch," and she isn't sure the benefit will be as generous as some workers expect. It's a reasonable question, experts say: Some key details of the provision — including which occupations and kinds of gratuities may qualify — are still unclear. There's also some confusion among workers about how the tax break works. More from Personal Finance:What private assets in 401(k) plans mean for investorsEducation Department launches college financial aid form Trump's 'big beautiful bill' slashes this tax break for high earners in 2026 T. Cooper, a hair and makeup stylist in New York City, said that the measure is "being perceived incorrectly" among tipped workers she knows. "A lot of people don't understand that you will still have to pay the tax on tips," she said. Both Republicans and Democrats floated the "no tax on tips" idea during the 2024 presidential campaign. The "no tax on tips" provision in Trump's "big beautiful bill" provides a deduction worth up to $25,000. This tax break, which is available even if you don't itemize deductions, reduces taxable income. The deduction phases out, or gets smaller, once modified adjusted gross income exceeds $150,000. The law is also temporary; the tax break is available from 2025 through 2028. However, "you're still likely paying state taxes" on tip income, and you'll owe payroll levies for Medicare and Social Security, said Ben Henry-Moreland, a certified financial planner with advisor platform who analyzed the legislation. Deductible tips must appear on information returns from your employer, such as Form W-2 or 1099. But the agency's reporting rules for tip income remain unclear, experts say. For example, questions remain about how employers need to report tips on Forms W-2 or 1099 to qualify for the deduction. Currently, workers who make $20 or more per month in tips must report those earnings to employers, according to the IRS. Tips can include cash directly paid by customers, payouts from tip-sharing structures among employees and credit card payments. The IRS is expected to clarify which occupations qualify for the tax break in early October, per the agency. According to the provision, "qualified tips" include cash or gratuity paid by credit card, as well as earnings from a sharing arrangement. But it also says tips must be paid voluntarily by the customer. That puts automatic service charges — like mandatory gratuity charges restaurants impose on larger parties — in question, experts say. Adding to the reporting confusion, it's not unusual for those kinds of mandatory gratuities to mix with other tip income and simply appear as tips on tax forms, Lopez, the bartender, said of her experience. In some industries, tipping has decreased as consumer sentiment declines. During the second quarter of 2025, the average tip across restaurants, cafes and bars was at 14.99%, down from 15.17% the prior quarter, according to a new report by Square, a technology services company. "As consumer confidence in the economy shifts and tips fall, workers are taking home less," Ming-Tai Huh, head of food and beverage at Square, wrote in the report. Some consumers are also experiencing "tipping fatigue." About 41% of Americans said that "tipping is out of control" in 2025, up from 25% last year, according to a Bankrate report. Some workers say higher service costs and reduced consumer spending have contributed to these tipping trends. In the hair industry, prices typically rise every year as the cost of materials, rent and services go up, said Cooper. "So it's not that people have an issue with tipping," she said. "The service overall has just become way more expensive." In restaurants and bars, it's not unusual to see smaller checks these days, Lopez said, which makes your tip average decline. For example, previously, a $200 tab could earn $40 in tips. But nowadays, a typical tab could be $100, she said, and "you're only making $20 on the same guest."


NBC News
29 minutes ago
- NBC News
Trump paves path for private equity and crypto in retirement accounts. Here's what it means for your 401(k).
Your 401(k) options could change soon. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to clear the way for Americans to invest their retirement savings in private equity, cryptocurrency, real estate and other alternative assets. It's a big win for the asset industry — giving financial managers access to some of the $12.2 trillion in Americans' 401(k) and related retirement plans. Private assets can also be more lucrative, and the Trump administration said they can give retirement savers more opportunities. 'The theoretical benefits are that everyday Americans can invest in a broader menu of companies,' said Robert Brokamp, a financial planning expert at stock market research company The Motley Fool. But there are higher risks — and not necessarily higher rewards. Critics say it could put people in danger of losing a huge chunk of their retirement savings. 'There is a lot less transparency and liquidity in private markets,' said Brokamp. 'There's not as much information about the companies, and it could be hard to sell your investments — especially during a panic and many, many investors are trying to sell at the same time.' Plus the fees are higher for private assets than for typical 401(k) investments like mutual funds and ETFs. Benjamin Schiffrin, director of securities policy at Better Markets, said target-date mutual funds holding stocks and bonds charge 0.3% — while private funds can charge 1% to 2% in management fees and up to 20% in performance fees, and interval funds charge 2% to 3%. Right now, private equity is technically allowed in retirement plans, but it's rare — though some companies like BlackRock are planning new offerings. There are ways people can invest in crypto through their 401(k)s, too, but it's also not common. And many 401(k) recordkeepers don't support private equity funds yet. The executive order could change that. It directs the Department of Labor to re-examine its guidance and clarify its position on alternative assets like private market investments, real estate interests and digital assets within 180 days. And it tells the Securities and Exchange Commission to consider ways to facilitate access to alternative assets for plans like 401(k)s. 'I think this is going to open the floodgates,' said Schiffrin. 'I think up until now, you've actually seen a lot of hesitancy on the part of 401(k) plan managers to go down the road of including private market assets like private equity and private credit, things like that in the 401(k) plans.' Employers would have to decide to offer the plans — and experts anticipate many might be reluctant, as they could be held liable for losses. However, with updated guidance from the government, employers may feel more comfortable adding these alternative assets into their 401(k)s. Many experts say that might not be a good thing. SageMint Wealth managing partner Anh Tran, a certified financial planner and attorney, believes there's a real risk that some investors will be drawn in by the allure of potentially higher returns from alternative investments without having the full picture. She said she would not advise anyone to make this kind of investment unless they fully understand the risk of losing that money entirely. 'It could be detrimental to less-informed investors whose only investment account is their 401(k),' said Tran. 'Without proper guardrails, such as limiting exposure to 5% to 10% of the portfolio, these investors could be exposed to unnecessary risk, misaligned expectations and potentially irreversible losses.' Knut Rostad, co-founder and president of the nonprofit Institute for the Fiduciary Standard, also fears private assets in 401(k)s could put retirement savers at risk of big losses. 'I think in practice, there'll be many fiduciaries who ignore this directive because they understand precisely what will result from it,' he said, referring to Trump's executive order. 'The result will be a massive train wreck where many people are seriously hurt. Their retirement accounts will be annihilated.' And cryptocurrencies come with their own dangers. 'It's not clear what, if any, protections investors are going to have when it comes to investing in crypto,' said Better Markets' Schiffrin. 'So that just is a whole separate category of risks that having crypto in 401(k)s opens up.' Meanwhile the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, a trade organization for broker-dealers, investment banks and asset managers, cheered the announcement as a win for retirement savers. 'As more U.S. companies choose to remain non-public, private markets have developed into a more robust asset class,' Kenneth E. Bentsen Jr., president and CEO of SIFMA, said in a statement. 'Access to such investments, however, has been limited primarily to institutional and high net worth investors.' He continued: 'Policy changes to expand access to private markets investments — appropriately tailored under ERISA and SEC rules — could serve to improve diversification, democratize access, and offer more investment choices to the benefit of everyday retirement savers.' Experts believe it could take months to see any changes. For now, they say education and safeguards are key — especially for younger investors and people without access to professional financial advice. 'There must be transparency, education and limits in place to prevent widespread harm,' said Tran. 'Otherwise, we could be setting the stage for not only financial loss, but broader economic and social consequences.'