BluePath Capital Management LLC Boosts Position in Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO)

BluePath Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO) by 64.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 17,396 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after buying an additional 6,789 shares during the period. BluePath Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Marathon Oil were worth $493,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mayfair Advisory Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Marathon Oil during the 1st quarter worth $206,000. Viking Fund Management LLC increased its position in Marathon Oil by 12.5% during the 1st 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. Signet Financial Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marathon Oil by 51.6% in the 1st quarter. Signet Financial Management LLC now owns 77,646 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $2,200,000 after purchasing an additional 26,442 shares in the last quarter. S.A. Mason LLC lifted its position in shares of Marathon Oil by 18.1% in the 1st quarter. S.A. Mason LLC now owns 20,868 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $591,000 after purchasing an additional 3,202 shares during the period. Finally, Mcdonald Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Marathon Oil during the first quarter valued at approximately $215,000. 77.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Marathon Oil Stock Performance

Marathon Oil stock traded up $0.20 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $28.78. The company had a trading volume of 4,463,009 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,720,571. The company has a current ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The company has a market capitalization of $16.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.89 and a beta of 2.19. The company’s fifty day moving average is $27.39 and its 200-day moving average is $25.89. Marathon Oil Co. has a 12-month low of $21.81 and a 12-month high of $30.06.

Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 1st. The oil and gas producer reported $0.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.52 by $0.03. Marathon Oil had a net margin of 21.83% and a return on equity of 13.24%. The company had revenue of $1.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.56 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.67 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Marathon Oil Co. will post 2.86 EPS for the current year.

Marathon Oil Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 15th were issued a $0.11 dividend. This represents a $0.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.53%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 14th. Marathon Oil’s payout ratio is currently 18.18%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Susquehanna reaffirmed a “positive” rating and set a $33.00 target price on shares of Marathon Oil in a research report on Monday, April 22nd. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and set a $32.00 price target on shares of Marathon Oil in a research report on Friday, May 3rd. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Marathon Oil from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 5th. Argus raised shares of Marathon Oil from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $31.00 target price for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Marathon Oil from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, April 15th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marathon Oil presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $32.86.

Marathon Oil 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.