Morgan Stanley Boosts Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) Price Target to $27.00

Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) had its price target lifted by Morgan Stanley from $26.00 to $27.00 in a research report released on Monday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an equal weight rating on the oil and gas producer’s stock.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on MRO. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Marathon Oil from $28.00 to $27.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 6th. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Marathon Oil from $35.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a sector outperform rating in a report on Thursday, April 11th. Argus upgraded shares of Marathon Oil from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $31.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, March 14th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of Marathon Oil from $39.00 to $36.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 22nd. Finally, Barclays initiated coverage on shares of Marathon Oil in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. They issued an overweight rating and a $35.00 price target for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $32.66.

Marathon Oil Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of MRO stock opened at $27.39 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $26.13 and a 200-day moving average of $25.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. Marathon Oil has a 12-month low of $21.63 and a 12-month high of $30.06. The company has a market capitalization of $15.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.70 and a beta of 2.22.

Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 22nd. The oil and gas producer reported $0.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.62 by $0.07. Marathon Oil had a net margin of 23.20% and a return on equity of 14.09%. The company had revenue of $1.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.66 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.88 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Marathon Oil will post 2.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Oil Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 21st were given a $0.11 dividend. This represents a $0.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.61%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 20th. Marathon Oil’s payout ratio is presently 17.19%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Lee M. Tillman sold 80,647 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.94, for a total value of $2,172,630.18. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 596,330 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,065,130.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, insider Patrick Wagner sold 36,094 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.65, for a total transaction of $997,999.10. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 140,829 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,893,921.85. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Lee M. Tillman sold 80,647 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.94, for a total transaction of $2,172,630.18. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 596,330 shares in the company, valued at $16,065,130.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 281,332 shares of company stock valued at $7,644,903 over the last ninety days. 0.42% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marathon Oil

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Oak Thistle LLC bought a new position in Marathon Oil during the fourth quarter worth about $1,440,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its holdings in Marathon Oil by 57.4% in the 3rd quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 607,336 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $16,246,000 after buying an additional 221,388 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management increased its holdings in Marathon Oil by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 4,692,600 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $125,527,000 after buying an additional 150,440 shares during the period. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Marathon Oil by 9.3% in the 3rd quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 849,254 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $22,718,000 after buying an additional 71,988 shares during the period. Finally, Pathstone Family Office LLC increased its holdings in Marathon Oil by 222.3% in the 3rd quarter. Pathstone Family Office LLC now owns 67,851 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $1,815,000 after buying an additional 46,796 shares during the period. 77.24% of the stock is owned by 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.