May 25, 2013
Murphy Oil Corporation (NYSE:MUR) is an oil and natural gas company that produces, refines and markets petroleum products. The company owns and operates oil and natural gas wells in North America, the North Sea, Ecuador, Malaysia and the Congo, and runs 3 refineries.[1]
All but two of Murphy USA's retail gasoline stations are located in front of Wal-Mart Stores (WMT), though the company has decided to increase its independence by purchasing the land underneath its stations.[2] Both the partnership with Wal-Mart and the spike in oil prices have caused the company's revenues to increase substantially over the last few years. Murphy is susceptible to extreme weather events; following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the company's margins fell as a result of damage to its Gulf Coast refineries. MUR competes with companies like Valero Energy (VLO), Petro-Canada (PCZ), and Marathon Oil (MRO).[3]
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