Shares of Marten Transport Ltd (MRTN) tumbled 6.47% in pre-market trading on Thursday following the release of the company's disappointing first-quarter 2025 earnings report. The trucking and logistics company's results met lowered analyst expectations but showed a significant decline from the same period last year, raising concerns about its near-term growth prospects.

Marten Transport reported adjusted earnings of 5 cents per share for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, matching the mean expectation of three analysts. However, this figure represents a sharp decrease from the 12 cents per share earned in the same quarter last year. The company's revenue also fell short of expectations, declining 10.6% year-over-year to $223.15 million, below the analyst consensus of $226.96 million.

The weak quarterly performance comes amid a challenging environment for the ground freight and logistics industry. Marten Transport's shares had already fallen 3.2% this quarter and lost 14.9% year-to-date before the earnings announcement. The latest results are likely to exacerbate investor concerns, as evidenced by the pre-market plunge. Adding to the negative sentiment, analysts have been revising their earnings estimates downward, with the mean estimate falling by about 23.1% over the last three months. Despite these challenges, the current average analyst rating on Marten Transport shares remains a "buy," with a median 12-month price target of $16.00.