Intech Investment Management LLC Sells 64,826 Shares of Murphy Oil Corporation $MUR

Intech Investment Management LLC decreased its position in Murphy Oil Corporation (NYSE:MUR) by 42.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 87,204 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after selling 64,826 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.06% of Murphy Oil worth $2,477,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in Murphy Oil by 1.7% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 84,061 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $2,387,000 after buying an additional 1,419 shares during the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association purchased a new position in Murphy Oil in the 1st quarter worth approximately $265,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in Murphy Oil by 22.6% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 249,094 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $7,074,000 after acquiring an additional 45,841 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in Murphy Oil by 494.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 2,786 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $63,000 after purchasing an additional 2,317 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Versor Investments LP bought a new stake in shares of Murphy Oil in the 2nd quarter worth $304,000. 78.31% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Murphy Oil Price Performance

NYSE MUR opened at $34.87 on Wednesday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $32.15 and a 200-day moving average price of $29.81. Murphy Oil Corporation has a 52 week low of $18.94 and a 52 week high of $36.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.43 and a beta of 0.72.

Murphy Oil (NYSE:MUR) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.07) by $0.21. Murphy Oil had a net margin of 3.83% and a return on equity of 3.73%. The company had revenue of $613.08 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $650.90 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.35 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Murphy Oil Corporation will post 2.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Murphy Oil Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were paid a $0.35 dividend. This is a positive change from Murphy Oil’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.33. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.0%. Murphy Oil’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 194.44%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MUR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays lowered their price target on Murphy Oil from $31.00 to $29.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Murphy Oil in a report on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $30.00 price target on shares of Murphy Oil in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Murphy Oil from $28.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Murphy Oil from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $29.42.

Murphy Oil Company Profile

Murphy Oil Corporation is an independent upstream oil and gas company engaged in the exploration, development and production of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. The company’s operations encompass conventional onshore and offshore reservoirs, with an emphasis on liquids-rich properties and deepwater assets. Through a combination of proprietary technologies and strategic joint ventures, Murphy Oil seeks to optimize recovery rates and manage its portfolio to balance long-term resource development with operational flexibility.

Murphy Oil’s exploration and production activities are geographically diversified.