Equities Analysts Issue Forecasts for Murphy Oil Q3 Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research sharply cut Murphy Oil’s Q3 2026 EPS forecast to $0.39 from $0.89, while also lowering several 2027 and 2028 earnings estimates.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: Murphy Oil has an average “Hold” rating and a consensus price target of $37.58, below the stock’s recent price near $38.19.
• Despite the weaker earnings outlook, Murphy Oil reported 33.5% year-over-year revenue growth in its latest quarter and maintains a $0.35 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a 3.7% yield.

Murphy Oil Corporation (NYSE:MUR - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Zacks Research dropped their Q3 2026 EPS estimates for shares of Murphy Oil in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, August 19th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the oil and gas producer will post earnings per share of $0.39 for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $0.89. The consensus estimate for Murphy Oil's current full-year earnings is $2.98 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Murphy Oil's FY2026 earnings at $2.97 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.51 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.52 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.70 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $2.50 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.79 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $0.56 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $2.65 EPS.

MUR has been the subject of several other research reports. Scotiabank restated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $44.00 price target on shares of Murphy Oil in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Murphy Oil in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Murphy Oil from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. Mizuho upgraded Murphy Oil to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Roth Capital reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $36.00 target price on shares of Murphy Oil in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Murphy Oil currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $37.58.

Murphy Oil Trading Up 3.6%

Shares of Murphy Oil stock opened at $38.19 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $35.56 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $36.54. The company has a market cap of $5.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.91 and a beta of 0.50. Murphy Oil has a fifty-two week low of $21.86 and a fifty-two week high of $43.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.85.

Murphy Oil (NYSE:MUR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.57 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $926.33 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $888.51 million. Murphy Oil had a return on equity of 6.63% and a net margin of 9.74%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 33.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.27 earnings per share.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Murphy Oil

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group increased its position in shares of Murphy Oil by 4.4% during the second quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group now owns 7,774 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $253,000 after purchasing an additional 328 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in Murphy Oil by 280.6% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,885 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $94,000 after purchasing an additional 2,127 shares in the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC purchased a new position in Murphy Oil in the 2nd quarter valued at $613,000. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in Murphy Oil during the 2nd quarter worth $1,627,000. Finally, United Capital Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Murphy Oil during the 2nd quarter worth $546,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.31% of the company's stock.

Murphy Oil Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 17th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.7%. Murphy Oil's dividend payout ratio is presently 69.31%.

Trending Headlines about Murphy Oil

Here are the key news stories impacting Murphy Oil this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Q4 2027 EPS estimate to $0.77 from $0.69, providing a limited positive offset to the broader revisions.
• Neutral Sentiment: Murphy Oil shares recently gained 3.8% to $38.28 and have risen approximately 79% over the past year, indicating strong momentum. However, GuruFocus estimated GF Value at $35.90 versus the $38.28 share price, suggesting the stock may be trading above its modeled fair value. A Look at Murphy Oil Corp After 3.8% Gain
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut its Q3 2026 EPS forecast sharply to $0.39 from $0.89. It also lowered FY2027 EPS to $2.50 from $2.86, FY2028 EPS to $2.65 from $2.87, Q1 2027 EPS to $0.51 from $0.61, Q2 2027 EPS to $0.52 from $0.71, Q3 2027 EPS to $0.70 from $0.84, and Q2 2028 EPS to $0.56 from $0.68. FY2026 was trimmed slightly to $2.97 from $2.98, while Q1 2028 was reduced to $0.79 from $0.80.
• Negative Sentiment: The revisions imply a more cautious earnings trajectory for MUR, with Zacks’ FY2027 estimate now well below the current-year consensus of $2.98 per share. That outlook may weigh on the stock despite its recent rally and the company’s strong year-over-year revenue growth.

About Murphy Oil

Murphy Oil Corporation is an independent upstream oil and gas company engaged in the exploration, development and production of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. The company's operations encompass conventional onshore and offshore reservoirs, with an emphasis on liquids-rich properties and deepwater assets. Through a combination of proprietary technologies and strategic joint ventures, Murphy Oil seeks to optimize recovery rates and manage its portfolio to balance long-term resource development with operational flexibility.

Murphy Oil's exploration and production activities are geographically diversified.

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