Versor Investments LP Grows Holdings in Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO)

Versor Investments LP raised its stake in shares of Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO - Free Report) by 14.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 270,215 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock after buying an additional 34,499 shares during the quarter. Marathon Oil comprises approximately 1.1% of Versor Investments LP's holdings, making the stock its 5th largest position. Versor Investments LP's holdings in Marathon Oil were worth $7,196,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. HWG Holdings LP bought a new position in shares of Marathon Oil during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Founders Capital Management raised its position 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 worth $29,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Highbridge Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Marathon Oil during the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Grove Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in 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 valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 465 shares during the period. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Marathon Oil during the third quarter worth $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.24% of the company's stock.

Marathon Oil Trading Up 0.4 %

NYSE MRO traded up $0.12 on Monday, reaching $28.62. The company had a trading volume of 4,401,214 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,032,923. The stock's 50 day moving average is $27.25 and its 200-day moving average is $27.52. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The stock has a market cap of $16.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.27 and a beta of 2.16. Marathon Oil Co. has a 52 week low of $21.81 and a 52 week high of $30.06.

Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.63 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.70 billion. Marathon Oil had a net margin of 19.73% and a return on equity of 12.80%. The business's quarterly revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.77 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Marathon Oil Co. will post 2.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Marathon Oil Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Friday, November 15th will be given a dividend of $0.11 per share. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 15th. Marathon Oil's dividend payout ratio is currently 18.88%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRO has been the topic of a number of research reports. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Marathon Oil from $30.00 to $28.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. Susquehanna decreased their target price on shares of Marathon Oil from $39.00 to $37.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on Marathon Oil from $27.61 to $28.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Citigroup decreased their target price on Marathon Oil from $29.00 to $28.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, September 5th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Marathon Oil in a report on Thursday. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Marathon Oil currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $31.12.

Insider Activity

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 completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 100,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,750,000. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related 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 completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 100,000 shares in the company, valued at $2,750,000. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Michael A. Henderson sold 38,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.21, for a total value of $1,033,980.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 76,828 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,090,489.88. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.35% of the company's stock.

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.