American Century Companies Inc. Purchases 25,886 Shares of Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO)

American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO) by 2.1% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 1,232,073 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after buying an additional 25,886 shares during the quarter. American Century Companies Inc.’s holdings in Marathon Oil were worth $35,324,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Riverview Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Marathon Oil in the first quarter valued at $27,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. lifted its position in Marathon Oil by 226.0% in the 1st quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 978 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 678 shares in the last quarter. Founders Capital Management boosted its stake in Marathon Oil by 100.0% during the 2nd quarter. Founders Capital Management now owns 1,000 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Marathon Oil by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 1,236 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 618 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust raised its stake in shares of Marathon Oil by 77.4% in the second quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 1,066 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 465 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.24% of the company’s stock.

Marathon Oil Stock Performance

NYSE MRO opened at $27.36 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $27.71 and its 200-day moving average is $27.53. The firm has a market cap of $15.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.31 and a beta of 2.16. Marathon Oil Co. has a 12-month low of $21.81 and a 12-month high of $30.06. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) last posted 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). The company had revenue of $1.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.69 billion. Marathon Oil had a return on equity of 13.81% and a net margin of 22.12%. The company’s revenue was up 12.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.48 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Marathon Oil Co. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Marathon Oil Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 21st were given a dividend of $0.11 per share. This represents a $0.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.61%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 21st. Marathon Oil’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.18%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Michael A. Henderson sold 38,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.21, for a total transaction of $1,033,980.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 76,828 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,090,489.88. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Scotiabank cut their price objective on shares of Marathon Oil from $29.00 to $27.61 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 12th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Marathon Oil from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Susquehanna decreased their price objective on shares of Marathon Oil from $39.00 to $37.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 4th. Capital One Financial downgraded Marathon Oil from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 5th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on Marathon Oil from $32.00 to $30.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Marathon Oil has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $31.76.

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.