Option chain shows key data for LIFE SETTLEMET ASSTS PLC by LIFE SETTLEMENT ASSETS PLC's stock options at various strike prices and expiration dates. Traders use this information to analyze potential trades and assess market sentiment for LIFE SETTLEMET ASSTS PLC by LIFE SETTLEMENT ASSETS PLC.

LIFE SETTLEMET ASSTS PLC by LIFE SETTLEMENT ASSETS PLC (OTC:LSAAF) Stock, Option Chain

LIFE SETTLEMET ASSTS PLC by LIFE SETTLEMENT ASSETS PLC

B of A Securities analyst Wamsi Mohan maintains IBM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) with a Buy and raises the price target from $260 to $270.

News

Price Target

Analyst Ratings

B of A Securities Maintains Buy on IBM, Raises Price Target to $270

Guidance

Earlier: Quest Diagnostics Sees FY25 Revenue $10.70B-$10.85B Vs $10.672B Est.

Reported Earlier, Quest Diagnostics Sees FY25 Adj. EPS $9.55-$9.80 Vs $9.75 Estimate

MSFC

MSFT

CORRECTION: Microsoft ticker Is 'MSFT'

WIIM

Microsoft shares are trading lower following Q2 earnings and Q3 outlook.

B of A Securities analyst Alice Xiao maintains Victoria's Secret (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VSCO#NYSE">VSCO</a>) with a Underperform and lowers the price target from $40 to $35.

VSCO

B of A Securities Maintains Underperform on Victoria's Secret, Lowers Price Target to $35

HC Wainwright &amp; Co. analyst Heiko Ihle maintains McEwen Mining (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MUX#NYSE">MUX</a>) with a Buy and lowers the price target from $19 to $18.

HC Wainwright & Co. Maintains Buy on McEwen Mining, Lowers Price Target to $18

Rogers Communication, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RCI#NYSE">RCI</a>) shares are <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/01/g43331914/rogers-communications-reports-fourth-quarter-2024-results-announces-2025-financial-guidance">trading relatively flat on Thursday.</a>
In U.S. dollars, the company reported fourth quarter adjusted earnings per share of $1.04, missing the street view of $1.36. Quarterly sales of $3.92 billion missed the analyst consensus estimate of $5.39 billion.
In Canadian dollars, earnings per share were C$1.02, up 65% year over year, and adjusted earnings per shares were C$1.46.
Wireless service revenue increased by 2% this quarter, primarily as a result of the cumulative impact of growth in mobile phone subscriber base over the past year.
Wireless equipment revenue increased by 9%, primarily as a result of an increase in subscribers purchasing higher-value devices. Cable service revenue was stable this quarter, improving sequentially from the third quarter and from the prior year.
The company declared a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/01/g43331916/rogers-communications-declares-50-cents-per-share-quarterly-dividend">quarterly dividend </a>totaling 50 cents per share on each of its outstanding Class B Non-Voting shares and Class A Voting shares.&nbsp;The declared quarterly dividend will be paid on April 2.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/gaming/25/01/43342224/ryan-cohen-moves-gamestop-shares-to-personal-name-sparking-speculation-on-next-steps">Ryan Cohen Moves 36.8 Million GameStop Shares To Personal Name, Sparking Speculation On Next Steps</a>
Media revenue increased by 10% this quarter, primarily as a result of higher sports- and&nbsp;entertainment-related revenue, but lower than expectations as previously announced.
Consolidated adjusted EBITDA increased 9% and adjusted EBITDA margin increased by 250 basis points, primarily as a result of ongoing productivity and cost efficiencies.
As at December 31, the company had C$4.8 billion of available liquidity (December 31, 2023 &#8211; C$5.9 billion), including C$0.9 billion in cash and equivalents.
&#8220;The fourth quarter caps three straight years of industry-leading results,&#8221; said Tony Staffieri, President and CEO. &#8220;As I look to the year ahead, our 2025 outlook reflects continued growth, strong free cash flow, and investment in our core businesses.&#8221;
Outlook: For FY25, the company sees total service revenue to increase 0% to 3%.
"In 2025, we expect to have the financial flexibility to maintain our network advantages and to continue to return cash to shareholders," the company said.
Price Action: RCI shares are trading higher by 0.97% to $29.03 at last check Thursday.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/25/01/42802731/exclusive-top-20-most-searched-tickers-on-benzinga-pro-in-2024-where-do-tesla-nvidia-gamestop-trump-media-stocks-rank" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EXCLUSIVE: Top 20 Most-Searched Tickers On Benzinga Pro In 2024 — Where Do Tesla, Nvidia, GameStop, Trump Media Stocks Rank?</a></li>
</ul>

Earnings

Equities

Markets

Movers

General

Rogers Communications Q4 Earnings Miss Expectations, Amid Investments In Core Businesses

Dividends

Earlier: Quest Diagnostics Increased Its Quarterly Dividend From $0.75 To $0.80

Needham analyst Mike Matson reiterates Surmodics (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SRDX#NASDAQ">SRDX</a>) from Hold to Hold.

Reiteration

SRDX

Needham Reiterates Hold on Surmodicsto Hold

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>).
And retail traders should know.
We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.
Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with META, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.
So how do we know what these investors just did? 
Today, <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?utm_source=insights">Benzinga</a>'s options scanner spotted 456 uncommon options trades for Meta Platforms.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 47% bullish and 31%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 52 are puts, for a total amount of $4,705,395, and 404 are calls, for a total amount of $51,327,020.
<h3>Expected Price Movements</h3>
After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $180.0 and $1150.0 for Meta Platforms, spanning the last three months.
<h3>Volume &amp; Open Interest Trends</h3>
In today's trading context, the average open interest for options of Meta Platforms stands at 1890.71, with a total volume reaching 1,328,667.00. The accompanying chart delineates the progression of both call and put option volume and open interest for high-value trades in Meta Platforms, situated within the strike price corridor from $180.0 to $1150.0, throughout the last 30 days.
<h3>Meta Platforms Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1738257362_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Significant Options Trades Detected:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th align="right">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>META</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/31/25</td>
<td>$107.6</td>
<td>$106.05</td>
<td>$106.97</td>
<td>$570.00</td>
<td>$802.9K</td>
<td>334</td>
<td align="right">259</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>META</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>12/18/26</td>
<td>$221.85</td>
<td>$220.3</td>
<td>$220.3</td>
<td>$870.00</td>
<td>$771.4K</td>
<td>0</td>
<td align="right">48</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>META</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>02/07/25</td>
<td>$23.35</td>
<td>$23.0</td>
<td>$23.0</td>
<td>$670.00</td>
<td>$368.0K</td>
<td>2.3K</td>
<td align="right">874</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>META</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>02/21/25</td>
<td>$41.6</td>
<td>$40.95</td>
<td>$41.02</td>
<td>$650.00</td>
<td>$324.5K</td>
<td>4.5K</td>
<td align="right">708</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>META</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>02/28/25</td>
<td>$42.6</td>
<td>$41.1</td>
<td>$41.97</td>
<td>$650.00</td>
<td>$315.4K</td>
<td>230</td>
<td align="right">328</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Meta Platforms</h3>
Meta is the largest social media company in the world, boasting close to 4 billion monthly active users worldwide. The firm's "Family of Apps," its core business, consists of Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. End users can leverage these applications for a variety of different purposes, from keeping in touch with friends to following celebrities and running digital businesses for free. Meta packages customer data, gleaned from its application ecosystem and sells ads to digital advertisers. While the firm has been investing heavily in its Reality Labs business, it remains a very small part of Meta's overall sales.
<h3>Meta Platforms's Current Market Status</h3>
<ul>
<li>Trading volume stands at 20,027,013, with META's price up by 2.0%, positioned at $689.99.</li>
<li>RSI indicators show the stock to be may be overbought.</li>
<li>Earnings announcement expected in 83 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Expert Opinions on Meta Platforms</h3>
Over the past month, 5 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $789.2.
Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move
Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-checkout/?t=Be8be9arja3be22bz20&amp;utm_source=benzinga-insights">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Cantor Fitzgerald keeps a Overweight rating on Meta Platforms with a target price of $790. 
&#x2A; In a positive move, an analyst from Benchmark has upgraded their rating to Buy and adjusted the price target to $820. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Piper Sandler has decided to maintain their Overweight rating on Meta Platforms, which currently sits at a price target of $775. 
&#x2A; Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Mizuho keeps a Outperform rating on Meta Platforms with a target price of $750. 
&#x2A; Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Rosenblatt keeps a Buy rating on Meta Platforms with a target price of $811. 
Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Meta Platforms with <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a> for real-time alerts.

Options

Meta Platforms's Options: A Look at What the Big Money is Thinking

Whales with a lot of money to spend have taken a noticeably bearish stance on Riot Platforms.
Looking at options history for Riot Platforms (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RIOT#NASDAQ">RIOT</a>) we detected 11 trades.
If we consider the specifics of each trade, it is accurate to state that 36% of the investors opened trades with bullish expectations and 54% with bearish.
From the overall spotted trades, 2 are puts, for a total amount of $156,400 and 9, calls, for a total amount of $570,075.
<h3>Projected Price Targets</h3>
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $8.5 to $14.0 for Riot Platforms over the recent three months. 
<h3>Analyzing Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
In terms of liquidity and interest, the mean open interest for Riot Platforms options trades today is 4015.3 with a total volume of 19,924.00.
In the following chart, we are able to follow the development of volume and open interest of call and put options for Riot Platforms's big money trades within a strike price range of $8.5 to $14.0 over the last 30 days.
<h3>Riot Platforms Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1738257356_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Noteworthy Options Activity:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>RIOT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>02/21/25</td>
<td>$0.87</td>
<td>$0.86</td>
<td>$0.86</td>
<td>$12.50</td>
<td>$153.0K</td>
<td>784</td>
<td>2.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>RIOT</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/31/25</td>
<td>$2.15</td>
<td>$1.93</td>
<td>$2.1</td>
<td>$14.00</td>
<td>$126.0K</td>
<td>2.1K</td>
<td>602</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>RIOT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/31/25</td>
<td>$0.27</td>
<td>$0.25</td>
<td>$0.29</td>
<td>$12.00</td>
<td>$110.6K</td>
<td>14.2K</td>
<td>10.6K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>RIOT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>02/07/25</td>
<td>$0.73</td>
<td>$0.72</td>
<td>$0.72</td>
<td>$12.00</td>
<td>$76.0K</td>
<td>3.7K</td>
<td>1.8K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>RIOT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>05/16/25</td>
<td>$3.3</td>
<td>$3.2</td>
<td>$3.25</td>
<td>$10.00</td>
<td>$65.0K</td>
<td>4.8K</td>
<td>220</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Riot Platforms</h3>
Riot Platforms Inc is a vertically integrated Bitcoin mining company focused on building, supporting, and operating blockchain technologies. The company's segments include Bitcoin Mining; Data Center Hosting and Engineering. It generates maximum revenue from the Bitcoin Mining segment which generates revenue from the Bitcoin the company earns through its mining activities.
Having examined the options trading patterns of Riot Platforms, our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance
<h3>Riot Platforms's Current Market Status</h3>
<ul>
<li>With a trading volume of 25,745,058, the price of RIOT is up by 3.74%, reaching $11.64.</li>
<li>Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Next earnings report is scheduled for 21 days from now.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Professional Analyst Ratings for Riot Platforms</h3>
In the last month, 1 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $16.0.
Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move
Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-checkout/?t=Be8be9arja3be22bz20&amp;utm_source=benzinga-insights">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Needham persists with their Buy rating on Riot Platforms, maintaining a target price of $16. 
Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest Riot Platforms options trades with real-time alerts from <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a>.

RIOT

What the Options Market Tells Us About Riot Platforms

High-rolling investors have positioned themselves bullish on Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMG#NYSE">CMG</a>), and it's important for retail traders to take note. 
\This activity came to our attention today through Benzinga's tracking of publicly available options data. The identities of these investors are uncertain, but such a significant move in CMG often signals that someone has privileged information.
Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 8 options trades for Chipotle Mexican Grill. This is not a typical pattern.
The sentiment among these major traders is split, with 37% bullish and 25% bearish. Among all the options we identified, there was one put, amounting to $78,750, and 7 calls, totaling $394,487.
<h3>Projected Price Targets</h3>
Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $51.0 to $60.0 for Chipotle Mexican Grill over the last 3 months. 
<h3>Insights into Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for Chipotle Mexican Grill's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across Chipotle Mexican Grill's significant trades, within a strike price range of $51.0 to $60.0, over the past month.
<h3>Chipotle Mexican Grill 30-Day Option Volume &amp; Interest Snapshot</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1738257351_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Biggest Options Spotted:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th align="right">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>CMG</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>01/15/27</td>
<td>$12.9</td>
<td>$12.6</td>
<td>$12.6</td>
<td>$60.00</td>
<td>$127.4K</td>
<td>695</td>
<td align="right">114</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CMG</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$5.05</td>
<td>$4.95</td>
<td>$4.99</td>
<td>$56.00</td>
<td>$99.9K</td>
<td>1.4K</td>
<td align="right">231</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CMG</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>02/07/25</td>
<td>$1.25</td>
<td>$1.24</td>
<td>$1.25</td>
<td>$57.00</td>
<td>$78.7K</td>
<td>1.6K</td>
<td align="right">655</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CMG</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>02/07/25</td>
<td>$3.05</td>
<td>$2.95</td>
<td>$3.05</td>
<td>$58.00</td>
<td>$40.5K</td>
<td>1.1K</td>
<td align="right">314</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CMG</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>02/14/25</td>
<td>$3.9</td>
<td>$3.8</td>
<td>$3.83</td>
<td>$57.00</td>
<td>$38.3K</td>
<td>529</td>
<td align="right">102</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Chipotle Mexican Grill</h3>
Chipotle Mexican Grill is the largest fast-casual chain restaurant in the United States, with systemwide sales of $9.9 billion in 2023. The Mexican concept is almost exclusively company-owned, with just two license stores opearted through a master franchise relationship with Alshaya Group in the Middle East. It had a footprint of nearly 3,440 stores at the end of 2023, heavily indexed to the United States, although it maintains a small presence in Canada, the UK, France, and Germany. Chipotle sells burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, quesadillas, and beverages, with a selling proposition built around competitive prices, high-quality food sourcing, speed of service, and convenience. The company generates its revenue entirely from restaurant sales and delivery fees.
Having examined the options trading patterns of Chipotle Mexican Grill, our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance
<h3>Where Is Chipotle Mexican Grill Standing Right Now?</h3>
<ul>
<li>With a trading volume of 2,309,477, the price of CMG is up by 1.03%, reaching $58.87.</li>
<li>Current RSI values indicate that the stock is is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.</li>
<li>Next earnings report is scheduled for 5 days from now.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What Analysts Are Saying About Chipotle Mexican Grill</h3>
A total of 5 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $67.8.
Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move
Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-checkout/?t=Be8be9arja3be22bz20&amp;utm_source=benzinga-insights">Click here for access</a>. 
&#x2A; Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Barclays continues to hold a Equal-Weight rating for Chipotle Mexican Grill, targeting a price of $63. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Wedbush downgraded its action to Outperform with a price target of $69. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Raymond James persists with their Outperform rating on Chipotle Mexican Grill, maintaining a target price of $69. 
&#x2A; An analyst from Citigroup persists with their Buy rating on Chipotle Mexican Grill, maintaining a target price of $69. 
&#x2A; Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Oppenheimer continues to hold a Outperform rating for Chipotle Mexican Grill, targeting a price of $69. 
Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.
If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Chipotle Mexican Grill, <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a> gives you real-time options trades alerts.

A Closer Look at Chipotle Mexican Grill's Options Market Dynamics

B of A Securities analyst Justin Post maintains Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) with a Buy and raises the price target from $710 to $765.

B of A Securities Maintains Buy on Meta Platforms, Raises Price Target to $765

RBC Capital analyst Irene Nattel reiterates Saputo (TSX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SAP#TSX">SAP</a>) with a Outperform and maintains C$38 price target.

TSX:SAP

RBC Capital Reiterates Outperform on Saputo, Maintains C$38 Price Target

Murphy Oil Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MUR#NYSE">MUR</a>) shares are trading lower on Thursday after the company reported 2024 fiscal-year fourth-quarter earnings before <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/43330142">the market opened</a>.
What To Know: Murphy reported revenue of $670.96 million, missing analysts estimate of $741.18 million. In addition, the company reported adjusted earnings per share of 35 cents, missing analysts estimate of 57 cents.
Furthermore, Murphy reported net debt at about $850 million, the company&#8217;s lowest in over a decade. It reported adjusted EBITDA of $321 million.
&#8220;I am pleased that in 2024, we continued to focus on our priorities of Delever, Execute, Explore and Return. As a result, we achieved Murphy 3.0 of our capital allocation framework, strengthened our balance sheet, increased our liquidity, made two impactful discoveries and advanced our Lac Da Vang field development project in Vietnam,&#8221; said Eric M. Hambly, President and CEO of Murphy.
Murphy issued guidance for the 2025 fiscal-year. It sees capital expenditure of between $1.13 billion and $1.28 billion.
Related Link: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43342228/servicenow-stock-is-tumbling-thursday-whats-going-on">ServiceNow Stock Is Tumbling Thursday: What&#8217;s Going On?</a>
MUR Price Action: At the time of writing, Murphy shares are trading 6.24% lower at $27.35, according to data from <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a>.
Image: via Shutterstock

What's Going On With Murphy Oil Stock Thursday?

Goldman Sachs analyst Susan Maklari reiterated a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/WHR/analyst-ratings">Buy rating</a> on the shares of Whirlpool Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WHR#NYSE">WHR</a>) with a price target of $138.
Whirlpool reported adjusted <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/01/n43318720/whirlpool-announces-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-results-provides-2025-guidance">fourth-quarter EPS of $4.57</a>, exceeding the analyst&#8217;s forecast of $4.08 and the FactSet consensus of $4.34. 
The stronger-than-expected performance relative to the analyst&#8217;s model was driven by a lower adjusted tax rate, which added $1.61 to the results, as well as interest expenses and other factors contributing an additional $0.22. 
Revenue dropped by 18.7%, slightly better than the analyst&#8217;s estimate of -18.9%, adding $0.01. However, this was partially offset by an adjusted EBIT margin 118 basis points lower than the analyst&#8217;s estimate of 6.0%, which reduced earnings by $1.35.
Overall, the results were influenced by a significant inventory reduction at a major North American retailer and ongoing weakness in discretionary spending, which pressured product mix and margins. 
Looking ahead, the 2025 adjusted EPS guidance was set at approximately $10, below the analyst&#8217;s forecast of $10.75 and the consensus estimate of $11.46.
Revenues in the North America MDA segment declined by 1% year-over-year, better than the analyst&#8217;s expected drop of 2%, as the analyst estimated that volumes were relatively stable while price/mix challenges remained consistent with the previous quarter.
Small Domestic Appliance revenues grew by 6%, falling short of the analyst&#8217;s 8% estimate, as a challenging market environment partially offset strong direct-to-consumer sales and new product introductions.
Additionally, investments in marketing and new products caused the segment's margin to fall 350 basis points, declining by 127 basis points year-over-year to 12.5%, said the analyst.
The company plans to sell about 31% of its stake in Whirlpool India for $550-$600 million, with the transaction expected to be completed by mid- to late 2025.
Management intends to use the proceeds to reduce debt by around $700 million in 2025 and refinance $1.1-$1.2 billion in upcoming maturities.
The analyst will be looking for updates on the U.S. demand given the macro backdrop, the success of recent new product introductions, key factors to margins including price realization, inflation, and cost reductions, and the impact of potential trade actions.
WHR Price Action: Whirpool shares are trading lower by 17.58% at $106.96 at publication Thursday.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/01/43335015/ups-q4-earnings-major-customer-volume-cut-raises-jitters-stock-tanks"> • UPS Q4 Earnings: Major Customer Volume Cut Raises Jitters, Stock Tanks</a>
Photo: Grzegorz Czapski via Shutterstock

Global

Opinion

Trading Ideas

Whirlpool Inventory Reduction, Low Discretionary Spending Led To Q4 Revenue Miss, Says Analyst

The Board of Directors of <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=4352168-1&amp;h=655529854&amp;u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jacobs.com%2F&amp;a=Jacobs">Jacobs</a>&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/J#NYSE">J</a>) has declared a quarterly cash dividend payable to shareholders in the amount of $0.32 per share of Jacobs common stock,&nbsp;an increase of 10% from its previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. This dividend will be paid on March 21, 2025, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on Feb. 21, 2025.

Jacobs Increases Quarterly Dividend From $0.29 To $0.32 Per Share

ORCL

Live On CNBC, Jim Labenthal Announces Trimmed Oracle Position

RBC Capital analyst Jon Arfstrom reiterates UMB Financial (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UMBF#NASDAQ">UMBF</a>) with a Sector Perform and maintains $128 price target.

Comments

LIFE SETTLEMET ASSTS PLC by LIFE SETTLEMENT ASSETS PLC

LIFE SETTLEMET ASSTS PLC by LIFE SETTLEMENT ASSETS PLC (LSAAF) Options

No option chain data available. Please try again later

Popular Channels

Tools & Features

Partners & Contributors

About Benzinga