Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO) Shares Sold by IFM Investors Pty Ltd

IFM Investors Pty Ltd cut its position in shares of Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO) by 3.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 125,681 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after selling 4,848 shares during the quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd’s holdings in Marathon Oil were worth $3,562,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Accel Wealth Management purchased a new position in Marathon Oil in the first quarter valued at approximately $202,000. Norden Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marathon Oil in the 1st quarter valued at $1,341,000. BluePath Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Marathon Oil by 64.0% during the 1st quarter. BluePath Capital Management LLC now owns 17,396 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $493,000 after acquiring an additional 6,789 shares in the last quarter. Mayfair Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in Marathon Oil during the 1st quarter worth $206,000. Finally, Viking Fund Management LLC raised its position in Marathon Oil by 12.5% in the first quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 180,000 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $5,101,000 after purchasing an additional 20,000 shares during the period. 77.24% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marathon Oil Stock Performance

Shares of MRO traded up $0.03 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $27.77. 5,872,909 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,672,421. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 0.40. Marathon Oil Co. has a 1-year low of $21.63 and a 1-year high of $30.06. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $26.72 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $25.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.87 billion, a PE ratio of 10.85 and a beta of 2.22.

Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 22nd. The oil and gas producer reported $0.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.62 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $1.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.66 billion. Marathon Oil had a net margin of 23.20% and a return on equity of 14.09%. Marathon Oil’s revenue was down 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.88 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Marathon Oil Co. will post 2.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Oil Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.11 per share. This represents a $0.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.58%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 14th. Marathon Oil’s payout ratio is currently 17.19%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on MRO shares. UBS Group dropped their target price on Marathon Oil from $28.00 to $27.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Marathon Oil from $26.50 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 26th. Barclays began coverage on shares of Marathon Oil in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $35.00 price target for the company. Argus raised shares of Marathon Oil from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $31.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Marathon Oil from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 15th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $32.66.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Lee M. Tillman sold 80,647 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.94, for a total value of $2,172,630.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 596,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,065,130.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Marathon Oil news, insider Patrick Wagner sold 36,094 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.65, for a total value of $997,999.10. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 140,829 shares in the company, valued at $3,893,921.85. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Lee M. Tillman sold 80,647 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.94, for a total transaction of $2,172,630.18. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 596,330 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,065,130.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 281,332 shares of company stock worth $7,644,903. 0.42% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.