Murphy Oil (NYSE:MUR) Price Target Cut to $23.00 by Analysts at UBS Group

Murphy Oil (NYSE:MUR - Get Free Report) had its target price lowered by equities researchers at UBS Group from $28.00 to $23.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "neutral" rating on the oil and gas producer's stock. UBS Group's target price would indicate a potential upside of 10.07% from the stock's current price.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on MUR. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Murphy Oil from $34.00 to $32.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 18th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Murphy Oil from $37.00 to $32.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Roth Capital set a $37.00 target price on Murphy Oil in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. KeyCorp decreased their price target on Murphy Oil from $50.00 to $37.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Murphy Oil from $33.00 to $28.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Murphy Oil has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $33.15.

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Murphy Oil Stock Up 4.6 %

Shares of NYSE:MUR traded up $0.93 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $20.90. 3,609,526 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,013,343. Murphy Oil has a 12 month low of $18.95 and a 12 month high of $48.64. The company has a market cap of $2.98 billion, a PE ratio of 7.77 and a beta of 1.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $26.03 and a 200-day moving average price of $29.78.

Murphy Oil (NYSE:MUR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.62 by ($0.27). Murphy Oil had a return on equity of 7.66% and a net margin of 13.44%. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.90 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Murphy Oil will post 2.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Meenambigai Palanivelu bought 1,573 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $26.70 per share, for a total transaction of $41,999.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 37,065 shares in the company, valued at approximately $989,635.50. The trade was a 4.43 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Claiborne P. Deming purchased 50,000 shares of Murphy Oil stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 4th. The stock was bought at an average price of $26.47 per share, with a total value of $1,323,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 931,651 shares of the company's stock, valued at $24,660,801.97. This represents a 5.67 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 5.92% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MUR. Huntington National Bank boosted its position in shares of Murphy Oil by 342.8% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 828 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 641 shares during the period. Riverview Trust Co purchased a new stake in Murphy Oil in the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. GeoWealth Management LLC bought a new position in Murphy Oil in the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Lindbrook Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Murphy Oil by 60.5% during the 4th quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 1,441 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 543 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its holdings in shares of Murphy Oil by 177.8% in the first quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,725 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 1,104 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.31% of the company's stock.

About Murphy Oil

Murphy Oil Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an oil and gas exploration and production company in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It explores for and produces crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. The company was formerly known as Murphy Corporation and changed its name to Murphy Oil Corporation in 1964.