Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eighteen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $31.87.

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Capital One Financial lowered shares of Marathon Oil from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 5th. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Marathon Oil from $32.00 to $30.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Marathon Oil from $33.00 to $30.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Susquehanna reduced their price objective on shares of Marathon Oil from $39.00 to $37.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Marathon Oil from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th.

Insider Transactions at Marathon Oil

In related news, VP Michael A. Henderson sold 38,000 shares of Marathon Oil stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.21, for a total value of $1,033,980.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 76,828 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,090,489.88. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marathon Oil

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRO. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Oil in the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Riverview Trust Co purchased a new stake in Marathon Oil during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Marathon Oil by 226.0% in the 1st quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 978 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 678 shares during the period. Founders Capital Management lifted its position in shares of Marathon Oil by 100.0% during the 2nd quarter. Founders Capital Management now owns 1,000 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Highbridge Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marathon Oil in the second quarter worth about $29,000. 77.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Marathon Oil Stock Performance

NYSE:MRO opened at $25.98 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $27.79 and a 200-day moving average of $27.44. The company has a current ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Marathon Oil has a 1 year low of $21.81 and a 1 year high of $30.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.74 and a beta of 2.16.

Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $1.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.69 billion. Marathon Oil had a return on equity of 13.81% and a net margin of 22.12%. Marathon Oil’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.48 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Marathon Oil will post 2.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Oil Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 21st were paid a $0.11 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, August 21st. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.69%. Marathon Oil’s payout ratio is currently 18.18%.

Marathon Oil Company Profile

Marathon Oil Corporation, an independent exploration and production company, engages in exploration, production, and marketing of crude oil and condensate, natural gas liquids, and natural gas in the United States and internationally. The company also produces and markets products manufactured from natural gas, such as liquefied natural gas and methanol.