Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) Receives New Coverage from Analysts at StockNews.com

StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) in a note issued to investors on Monday. The brokerage set a “buy” rating on the oil and gas producer’s stock.

A number of other brokerages have also issued reports on MRO. Scotiabank upped their price objective on shares of Marathon Oil from $27.61 to $28.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday. Truist Financial dropped their price target on shares of Marathon Oil from $35.00 to $27.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 30th. Susquehanna decreased their price objective on Marathon Oil from $39.00 to $37.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 4th. Barclays cut their target price on Marathon Oil from $35.00 to $34.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on Marathon Oil from $30.00 to $28.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marathon Oil has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $31.12.

Marathon Oil Stock Performance

NYSE MRO opened at $28.06 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.57 and a quick ratio of 0.52. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $27.55 and its 200-day simple moving average is $27.74. The company has a market cap of $15.70 billion, a PE ratio of 10.92 and a beta of 2.16. Marathon Oil has a 1-year low of $21.81 and a 1-year high of $30.06.

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 the consensus estimate of $0.69 by ($0.06). Marathon Oil had a return on equity of 13.81% and a net margin of 22.12%. The business had revenue of $1.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.69 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.48 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Marathon Oil will post 2.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marathon Oil

In related news, VP Michael A. Henderson sold 38,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, September 6th. The shares were 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. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, insider Dane E. Whitehead sold 52,008 shares of Marathon Oil stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.50, for a total value of $1,430,220.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 100,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,750,000. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, VP Michael A. Henderson sold 38,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, September 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.21, for a total transaction of $1,033,980.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 76,828 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,090,489.88. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

About Marathon Oil

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.