Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. Sells 7,489 Shares of Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO)

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. reduced its position in Marathon Oil Co. (NYSE:MRO) by 9.6% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 70,448 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock after selling 7,489 shares during the period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.’s holdings in Marathon Oil were worth $1,702,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Smithfield Trust Co raised its holdings in shares of Marathon Oil by 367.9% in the third quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 1,020 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 802 shares during the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marathon Oil in the third quarter worth about $27,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Oil during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Central Bank & Trust Co. acquired a new stake in Marathon Oil during the fourth quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, MeadowBrook Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marathon Oil in the 4th quarter valued at about $48,000. 77.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marathon Oil Trading Down 1.5 %

Shares of Marathon Oil stock opened at $25.89 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 0.55. Marathon Oil Co. has a 1 year low of $21.81 and a 1 year high of $30.06. The company’s fifty day moving average is $27.53 and its two-hundred day moving average is $25.28. The company has a market capitalization of $14.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.70 and a beta of 2.22.

Marathon Oil (NYSE:MRO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 1st. The oil and gas producer reported $0.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $1.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.56 billion. Marathon Oil had a net margin of 21.83% and a return on equity of 13.24%. Marathon Oil’s revenue was down 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.67 EPS. Analysts forecast that Marathon Oil Co. will post 2.89 earnings per share for the current 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 issued a $0.11 dividend. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.70%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 14th. Marathon Oil’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.18%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on MRO. Susquehanna reaffirmed a “positive” rating and set a $33.00 price objective on shares of Marathon Oil in a report on Monday, April 22nd. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Marathon Oil in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $35.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com raised Marathon Oil from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 1st. Mizuho boosted their target price on Marathon Oil from $31.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, May 13th. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $32.00 price objective on shares of Marathon Oil in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Marathon Oil presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $33.14.

Insider Activity at Marathon Oil

In other Marathon Oil news, insider Patrick Wagner sold 36,094 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.65, for a total value of $997,999.10. Following the sale, the insider now owns 140,829 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,893,921.85. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, CEO Lee M. Tillman sold 80,647 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 $16,065,130.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Patrick Wagner sold 36,094 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.65, for a total value of $997,999.10. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 140,829 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,893,921.85. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 281,332 shares of company stock worth $7,644,903 over the last 90 days. Company 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.