Squarepoint Ops LLC Raises Stock Position in Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO)

Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its stake in Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO) by 239.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 238,393 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after buying an additional 168,266 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC’s holdings in Marathon Oil were worth $6,835,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Marathon Oil in the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 678 shares during the period. Founders Capital Management boosted its holdings in shares of Marathon Oil by 100.0% in the 2nd quarter. Founders Capital Management now owns 1,000 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Highbridge Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Marathon Oil during the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Fortis Group Advisors LLC boosted its stake 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 valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 618 shares during the period. 77.24% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on MRO shares. Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of Marathon Oil from $34.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Marathon Oil from $29.00 to $28.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, September 5th. Capital One Financial downgraded shares of Marathon Oil from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Marathon Oil from $33.00 to $30.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Marathon Oil in a report on Saturday. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $31.74.

Marathon Oil Stock Up 2.4 %

MRO stock opened at $26.48 on Monday. Marathon Oil Co. has a twelve month low of $21.81 and a twelve 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. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.81 billion, a PE ratio of 10.94 and a beta of 2.16. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $27.46 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $27.65.

Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.63 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by ($0.06). Marathon Oil had a net margin of 22.12% and a return on equity of 13.81%. The business had revenue of $1.71 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.69 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.48 EPS. Marathon Oil’s revenue was up 12.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Marathon Oil Co. will post 2.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Oil Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 21st were paid a $0.11 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 21st. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.66%. Marathon Oil’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.18%.

Insider Transactions at Marathon Oil

In other news, insider Dane E. Whitehead sold 52,008 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.50, for a total value of $1,430,220.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 100,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,750,000. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, VP Michael A. Henderson sold 38,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.21, for a total transaction of $1,033,980.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly 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 at the SEC website. Also, insider Dane E. Whitehead sold 52,008 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.50, for a total value of $1,430,220.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 100,000 shares in the company, valued at $2,750,000. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

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.