Hilltop National Bank Increases Position in Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO)

Hilltop National Bank grew its holdings in Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO) by 89.5% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 1,620 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after buying an additional 765 shares during the period. Hilltop National Bank’s holdings in Marathon Oil were worth $46,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MRO. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Marathon Oil during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its stake in shares of Marathon Oil by 226.0% during the first quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 978 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 678 shares during the period. Fortis Group Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Marathon Oil by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 1,236 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 618 shares during the period. Manchester Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marathon Oil during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marathon Oil during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. 77.24% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on shares of Marathon Oil from $32.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 19th. Barclays began coverage on shares of Marathon Oil in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $35.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $29.00 target price (down from $38.00) on shares of Marathon Oil in a research report on Friday, May 31st. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Marathon Oil in a research report on Saturday. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Scotiabank lowered shares of Marathon Oil from a “sector outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $45.00 to $29.00 in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marathon Oil presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $32.14.

Marathon Oil Trading Up 1.0 %

Shares of Marathon Oil stock traded up $0.26 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $26.86. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 5,978,912 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,072,350. The business has a fifty day moving average of $28.11 and a 200 day moving average of $26.61. The company has a market capitalization of $15.15 billion, a PE ratio of 11.10 and a beta of 2.19. Marathon Oil Co. has a 1-year low of $21.81 and a 1-year high of $30.06. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

Marathon Oil Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.11 per share. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.64%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 21st. Marathon Oil’s payout ratio is 18.18%.

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.