Marathon Oil Corp Valuation – January 2019 $MRO
Company Profile (excerpt from Reuters): Marathon Oil Corporation, incorporated on May 30, 2001, is an exploration and production (E&P) company. The Company operates through two segments: United States E&P, International E&P. The United States E&P segment explores for, produces and markets crude oil and condensate, natural gas liquids (NGLs) and natural gas in the United States. The International E&P segment explores for, produces and markets crude oil and condensate, NGLs and natural gas outside of the United States, and produces and markets products manufactured from natural gas, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and methanol, in Equatorial Guinea (E.G.).
Downloadable PDF version of this valuation:
ModernGraham Valuation of MRO – January 2019
Stage 1: Is this company suitable for the Defensive Investor or the Enterprising Investor?
What kind of Intelligent Investor are you?
| Defensive Investor; must pass 6 out of the following 7 tests. | ||||
| 1. Adequate Size of the Enterprise | Market Cap > $2Bil | $13,312,884,632 | Pass | |
| 2. Sufficiently Strong Financial Condition | Current Ratio > 2 | 1.43 | Fail | |
| 3. Earnings Stability | Positive EPS for 10 years prior | Fail | ||
| 4. Dividend Record | Dividend Payments for 10 years prior | Pass | ||
| 5. Earnings Growth | Increase of 33% in EPS in past 10 years using 3 year averages at beginning and end | -186.73% | Fail | |
| 6. Moderate PEmg Ratio | PEmg < 20 | -7.37 | Fail | |
| 7. Moderate Price to Assets | PB Ratio < 2.5 OR PB*PEmg < 50 | 1.13 | Fail | |
| Enterprising Investor; must pass 4 out of the following 5 tests, or be suitable for the Defensive Investor. | ||||
| 1. Sufficiently Strong Financial Condition | Current Ratio > 1.5 | 1.43 | Fail | |
| 2. Sufficiently Strong Financial Condition | Debt to NCA < 1.1 | 5.96 | Fail | |
| 3. Earnings Stability | Positive EPS for 5 years prior | Fail | ||
| 4. Dividend Record | Currently Pays Dividend | Pass | ||
| 5. Earnings Growth | EPSmg greater than 5 years ago | Fail | ||
Stage 2: Determination of Intrinsic Value
| EPSmg | -$2.17 |
| MG Growth Estimate | -4.25% |
| MG Value | $0.00 |
| Opinion | Overvalued |
| MG Grade | C- |
| MG Value based on 3% Growth | -$31.52 |
| MG Value based on 0% Growth | -$18.48 |
| Market Implied Growth Rate | -7.93% |
| Current Price | $16.02 |
| % of Intrinsic Value | N/A |
Marathon Oil Corporation does not satisfy the requirements of either the Enterprising Investor or the more conservative Defensive Investor. The Defensive Investor is concerned with the low current ratio, insufficient earnings stability or growth over the last ten years, and the high PEmg and PB ratios. The Enterprising Investor has concerns regarding the level of debt relative to the current assets, and the lack of earnings stability or growth over the last five years. As a result, all value investors following the ModernGraham approach should explore other opportunities at this time or proceed cautiously with a speculative attitude.
As for a valuation, the company appears to be Overvalued after seeing its EPSmg (normalized earnings) decline from $3.38 in 2014 to an estimated $-2.17 for 2018. This level of negative earnings does not support a positive valuation.As a result, the ModernGraham valuation model, based on the Benjamin Graham value investing formula, returns an estimate of intrinsic value below the price.
At the time of valuation, further research into Marathon Oil Corporation revealed the company was trading below its Graham Number of $16.13. The company pays a dividend of $0.2 per share, for a yield of 1.2% Its PEmg (price over earnings per share – ModernGraham) was -7.37, which was below the industry average of 41.28, which by some methods of valuation makes it one of the most undervalued stocks in its industry. Finally, the company was trading above its Net Current Asset Value (NCAV) of $-7.86.
Marathon Oil Corporation receives an average overall rating in the ModernGraham grading system, scoring a C-.
Stage 3: Information for Further Research
| Net Current Asset Value (NCAV) | -$7.86 |
| Graham Number | $16.13 |
| PEmg | -7.37 |
| Current Ratio | 1.43 |
| PB Ratio | 1.13 |
| Current Dividend | $0.20 |
| Dividend Yield | 1.25% |
| Number of Consecutive Years of Dividend Growth | 0 |
Useful Links:
| ModernGraham tagged articles | Morningstar |
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| GuruFocus | SEC Filings |
Most Recent Balance Sheet Figures
| Balance Sheet Information | 9/1/2018 |
| Total Current Assets | $3,065,000,000 |
| Total Current Liabilities | $2,142,000,000 |
| Long-Term Debt | $5,498,000,000 |
| Total Assets | $21,778,000,000 |
| Intangible Assets | $97,000,000 |
| Total Liabilities | $9,734,000,000 |
| Shares Outstanding (Diluted Average) | 849,000,000 |
Earnings Per Share History
| EPS History | |
| Next Fiscal Year Estimate | $0.84 |
| Dec2017 | -$6.73 |
| Dec2016 | -$2.61 |
| Dec2015 | -$3.26 |
| Dec2014 | $4.46 |
| Dec2013 | $2.47 |
| Dec2012 | $2.23 |
| Dec2011 | $4.13 |
| Dec2010 | $3.61 |
| Dec2009 | $2.06 |
| Dec2008 | $4.95 |
| Dec2007 | $5.69 |
| Dec2006 | $7.25 |
| Dec2005 | $4.22 |
| Dec2004 | $1.86 |
| Dec2003 | $2.13 |
| Dec2002 | $0.83 |
| Dec2001 | $0.53 |
| Dec2000 | $0.68 |
| Dec1999 | $0.87 |
| Dec1998 | $0.86 |
Earnings Per Share – ModernGraham History
| EPSmg History | |
| Next Fiscal Year Estimate | -$2.17 |
| Dec2017 | -$2.83 |
| Dec2016 | -$0.37 |
| Dec2015 | $1.17 |
| Dec2014 | $3.38 |
| Dec2013 | $2.86 |
| Dec2012 | $3.17 |
| Dec2011 | $3.79 |
| Dec2010 | $3.98 |
| Dec2009 | $4.39 |
| Dec2008 | $5.30 |
| Dec2007 | $5.06 |
| Dec2006 | $4.25 |
| Dec2005 | $2.47 |
| Dec2004 | $1.47 |
| Dec2003 | $1.18 |
| Dec2002 | $0.72 |
Recommended Reading:
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Disclaimer:
The author did not hold a position in any company mentioned in this article at the time of publication and had no intention of changing that position within the next 72 hours.  See my current holdings here.  This article is not investment advice; any reader should speak to a registered investment adviser prior to making any investment decisions.  ModernGraham is not affiliated with the company in any manner.  Please be sure to review our detailed disclaimer.
