Murphy Oil Corporation (NYSE:MUR) Stock Now Rated “Hold” by Wall Street Brokerages

Murphy Oil Corporation (NYSE:MUR) has been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the fifteen brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $39.75.

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MUR. Seaport Research Partners assumed coverage on shares of Murphy Oil in a research note on Thursday, September 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Mizuho increased their price target on Murphy Oil from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th. Wells Fargo & Company restated a “positive” rating on shares of Murphy Oil in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. Zacks Research raised Murphy Oil from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Murphy Oil from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 17th.

Institutional Trading of Murphy Oil

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy Oil in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,065,000. SailingStone Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Murphy Oil in the 2nd quarter valued at about $15,852,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Murphy Oil during the 2nd quarter worth about $45,719,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in Murphy Oil in the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,789,000. Finally, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new position in Murphy Oil during the first quarter worth about $1,745,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.31% of the company’s stock.

Murphy Oil Price Performance

MUR opened at $43.91 on Monday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $38.68 and its 200-day simple moving average is $36.79. Murphy Oil has a one year low of $26.49 and a one year high of $45.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.74 and a beta of 0.59.

Murphy Oil (NYSE:MUR) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.57 by ($0.02). Murphy Oil had a net margin of 9.74% and a return on equity of 6.63%. The firm had revenue of $926.33 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $888.51 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.27 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 33.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Murphy Oil will post 3.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Murphy Oil Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. Murphy Oil’s dividend payout ratio is currently 69.31%.

Key Headlines Impacting Murphy Oil

Here are the key news stories impacting Murphy Oil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded Murphy Oil (MUR) to Strong Buy, citing growing optimism about the company’s earnings outlook. The stock was also added to Zacks’ Strong Buy value and income stock lists. Murphy Oil Upgraded to Strong Buy: What Does It Mean for the Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised multiple EPS forecasts, including estimates for Q3 2026 to $0.41 from $0.40, Q4 2026 to $0.77 from $0.75, FY2026 to $3.05 from $3.02, FY2027 to $2.68 from $2.59 and FY2028 to $2.97 from $2.87. Estimates for several 2027 and 2028 quarters were also increased, signaling stronger expected profitability over the medium term. Murphy Oil analyst estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: The revisions are based on analyst estimates rather than a new company earnings release. Investors should continue to monitor oil and gas prices, production levels and Murphy Oil’s upcoming results, as these factors can materially affect earnings.

About Murphy Oil

Murphy Oil Corporation (NYSE:MUR) is an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company. Its activities include identifying, acquiring, developing and producing crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids, with a focus on high-quality assets in North America.

The company’s operations are primarily located in the United States, including onshore assets in the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas and offshore properties in the Gulf of Mexico. Murphy Oil has also historically maintained exploration and production interests in Canada and other international regions, although its current portfolio is concentrated in the United States.

Founded in 1950, Murphy Oil has evolved from a diversified energy company into a focused exploration and production business.