Murphy Oil Corp's stock rose 4.94% as it reached a 52-week high amid a challenging market environment where the Nasdaq-100 is down 1.71% and the S&P 500 is down 0.96%.
The company has priced a $500 million offering of 6.500% Senior Notes due January 23, 2034, aimed at refinancing existing debt. This strategic move is expected to enhance financial flexibility by redeeming higher-interest notes due in 2027 and 2028, which will lower future borrowing costs and potentially improve the company's credit rating. The offering has attracted positive market attention, indicating investor confidence in Murphy Oil's growth potential.
This refinancing initiative not only optimizes Murphy Oil's capital structure but also positions the company for future expansions and investments, reinforcing its competitive stance in the oil and gas sector.
Wall Street analysts forecast MUR stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for MUR is 28.40 USD with a low forecast of 22.00 USD and a high forecast of 34.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
11 Analyst Rating
Wall Street analysts forecast MUR stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for MUR is 28.40 USD with a low forecast of 22.00 USD and a high forecast of 34.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
0 Buy
9 Hold
2 Sell
Hold
Current: 31.420
Low
22.00
Averages
28.40
High
34.00
Current: 31.420
Low
22.00
Averages
28.40
High
34.00
Barclays
Underweight
downgrade
$31 -> $29
2026-01-30
New
Reason
Barclays
Price Target
$31 -> $29
AI Analysis
2026-01-30
New
downgrade
Underweight
Reason
Barclays lowered the firm's price target on Murphy Oil to $29 from $31 and keeps an Underweight rating on the shares. The company's year-end 2025 update resets expectations on legacy asset base declines and the need for ongoing exploration to backfill long-term inventory, the analyst tells investors in a research note.
Wells Fargo
Equal Weight
maintain
$28 -> $32
2026-01-27
New
Reason
Wells Fargo
Price Target
$28 -> $32
2026-01-27
New
maintain
Equal Weight
Reason
Wells Fargo raised the firm's price target on Murphy Oil to $32 from $28 and keeps an Equal Weight rating on the shares. The oil macro remains pressured, with downside-skewed fundamentals as rising OPEC supply and strong non-OPEC growth point to a near-term surplus and continued price pressure, Wells notes. Amid a softer macro, the firm favors low-reinvestment, capital-disciplined frameworks, with 2026 plans broadly stable across the group.
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Morgan Stanley
Underweight
downgrade
$27 -> $25
2026-01-23
Reason
Morgan Stanley
Price Target
$27 -> $25
2026-01-23
downgrade
Underweight
Reason
Morgan Stanley lowered the firm's price target on Murphy Oil to $25 from $27 and keeps an Underweight rating on the shares. The firm marked its 2026-27 oil price deck for strip as of January 7 in conjunction with its Q4 preview for the E&Ps, oil majors and Canadian producers. The firm expects "fairly clean" Q4 operational updates but lighter cash flow from price realizations, the analyst tells investors in the preview.
Goldman Sachs
Neutral
maintain
$23 -> $26
2026-01-22
Reason
Goldman Sachs
Price Target
$23 -> $26
2026-01-22
maintain
Neutral
Reason
Goldman Sachs raised the firm's price target on Murphy Oil to $26 from $23 and keeps a Neutral rating on the shares. The firm updated its estimates ahead of Q4 earnings to reflect mark-to-market commodity prices and an updated Brent deck, the analyst tells investors in a research note.
About MUR
Murphy Oil Corporation is a global oil and natural gas exploration and production company, with both onshore and offshore operations and properties. The Company produces crude oil and condensate (collectively, crude oil), natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) primarily in the United States and Canada and explores for crude oil, natural gas and NGLs in targeted areas worldwide. In the United States, it produces crude oil, natural gas and NGLs primarily from fields in the Gulf of America and in the Eagle Ford Shale area of South Texas. In Canada, the Company holds working interests in Tupper Montney (100% working interest), Kaybob Duvernay and two non-operated offshore assets - the Hibernia and Terra Nova fields, located offshore Newfoundland and Labrador in the Jeanne d’Arc Basin. In Vietnam, the Company holds an interest in approximately 7.3 million gross acres, consisting of 65% working interest in Blocks 144 & 145, and a 40% interest in Block 15-1/05 and Block 15-2/17.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
