Zacks Research Has Weak Outlook for Murphy Oil Q4 Earnings

Murphy Oil Corporation (NYSE:MUR) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research decreased their Q4 2027 earnings per share estimates for Murphy Oil in a report released on Wednesday, February 11th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the oil and gas producer will post earnings per share of $0.31 for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $0.43. Zacks Research has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Murphy Oil’s current full-year earnings is $2.94 per share.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Scotiabank reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $31.00 target price on shares of Murphy Oil in a research note on Friday, January 16th. BMO Capital Markets restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Murphy Oil in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Roth Mkm reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Murphy Oil in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Murphy Oil in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, KeyCorp restated a “sector weight” rating on shares of Murphy Oil in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $29.42.

Murphy Oil Price Performance

MUR stock opened at $33.66 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $4.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.76 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $31.94 and a 200 day simple moving average of $28.95. Murphy Oil has a 1 year low of $18.94 and a 1 year high of $35.19.

Murphy Oil (NYSE:MUR) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.14 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.07) by $0.21. Murphy Oil had a return on equity of 3.75% and a net margin of 3.83%.The firm had revenue of $613.08 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $650.90 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.35 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 6.9% on a year-over-year basis.

Murphy Oil Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a $0.35 dividend. This is a boost from Murphy Oil’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.33. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.2%. Murphy Oil’s dividend payout ratio is presently 194.44%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Murphy Oil

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MUR. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC bought a new stake in Murphy Oil in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Murphy Oil by 67.3% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,094 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 440 shares during the last quarter. Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy Oil during the fourth quarter worth $37,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Murphy Oil by 72.9% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,701 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 717 shares during the period. Finally, Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in Murphy Oil by 39.7% during the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,440 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 693 shares during the last quarter. 78.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Murphy Oil

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

• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research issued a broad set of downward revisions to Murphy’s near‑term EPS across 2026–2027 but still models a recovery by FY2028 (Zacks now shows FY2028 EPS of $1.11). This is important context for medium‑term expectations but is mixed in impact because it pairs lower near‑term forecasts with a later rebound. MarketBeat Zacks Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks downgraded near‑term guidance sharply and maintains a “Strong Sell” stance — cutting FY2026 from $1.63 to $0.00, FY2027 from $2.09 to $0.92, and trimming multiple quarterly estimates (Q1–Q4 2026 and Q1–Q3 2027). These cuts lower short‑term earnings visibility and increase downside risk if the operational outlook doesn’t improve. MarketBeat Zacks Summary
• Negative Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets trimmed its price target to $35, citing a softer 2026 production outlook. A lower production outlook is a direct operational headwind — BMO’s action signals that the market should expect weaker volumes or disruptions that could pressure cash flow and valuation. BMO Target Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary warns that Murphy’s upcoming dividend may not be an attractive buy — essentially cautioning income investors that the dividend yield/coverage or sustainability may not justify buying the stock ahead of the payout. That narrative can reduce demand from dividend‑focused holders. Dividend Caution Article

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.