HighPoint Advisor Group LLC Invests $401,000 in Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO)

HighPoint Advisor Group LLC purchased a new stake in Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm purchased 16,585 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock, valued at approximately $401,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Fortis Group Advisors LLC boosted its position in Marathon Oil by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 1,236 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 618 shares during the last quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Marathon Oil during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marathon Oil in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Oil during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, ICA Group Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marathon Oil during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $37,000. 77.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marathon Oil Stock Up 1.9 %

Shares of NYSE MRO opened at $27.83 on Friday. Marathon Oil Co. has a 1 year low of $21.81 and a 1 year high of $30.06. The company has a market capitalization of $15.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.50 and a beta of 2.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.48. The business has a 50-day moving average of $27.29 and a two-hundred day moving average of $25.60.

Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The oil and gas producer reported $0.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.52 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $1.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.56 billion. Marathon Oil had a return on equity of 13.24% and a net margin of 21.83%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.67 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Marathon Oil Co. will post 2.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Oil Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 15th were issued a dividend of $0.11 per share. This represents a $0.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.58%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 14th. Marathon Oil’s payout ratio is 18.18%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Truist Financial decreased their price target on Marathon Oil from $36.00 to $35.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Marathon Oil from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, April 15th. Capital One Financial lowered shares of Marathon Oil from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 5th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Marathon Oil in a report on Sunday, June 16th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and set a $32.00 price target on shares of Marathon Oil in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Marathon Oil presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $32.86.

Insider Transactions at Marathon Oil

In related news, insider Patrick Wagner sold 36,094 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.65, for a total transaction of $997,999.10. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 140,829 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,893,921.85. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other news, insider Patrick Wagner sold 36,094 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.65, for a total value of $997,999.10. Following the completion of the sale, 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Michael A. Henderson sold 51,389 shares of Marathon Oil stock in a transaction on Monday, March 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.59, for a total transaction of $1,417,822.51. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 114,828 shares in the company, valued at $3,168,104.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

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.