MARA (NASDAQ:MARA) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at Compass Point

Stock analysts at Compass Point initiated coverage on shares of MARA (NASDAQ:MARA) in a report issued on Tuesday, Zacks reports. The brokerage set a “strong-buy” rating on the business services provider’s stock.

MARA has been the topic of several other reports. HC Wainwright began coverage on MARA in a research report on Friday, September 11th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $20.00 target price on the stock. Guggenheim reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of MARA in a research report on Tuesday. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $11.00 price target (down from $13.00) on shares of MARA in a research note on Tuesday, October 20th. Morgan Stanley set a $10.00 price objective on MARA and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered MARA from an “overweight” rating to an “underweight” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $13.00 to $11.00 in a research note on Monday, September 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $16.22.

MARA Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MARA opened at $7.34 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 0.89. The stock has a market cap of $2.84 billion, a PE ratio of -0.90 and a beta of 5.23. MARA has a one year low of $5.69 and a one year high of $16.43. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $9.73 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $10.65.

MARA (NASDAQ:MARA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 9th. The business services provider reported $1.28 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.39) by $1.67. MARA had a negative net margin of 411.23% and a negative return on equity of 37.38%. The company had revenue of $164.23 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $183.24 million. On average, analysts forecast that MARA will post -2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at MARA

In other MARA news, CEO Frederick G. Thiel sold 27,505 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.79, for a total transaction of $186,758.95. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 4,149,585 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $28,175,682.15. This trade represents a 0.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Salman Khan sold 16,000 shares of MARA stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.21, for a total value of $147,360.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 377,066 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,472,777.86. The trade was a 4.07% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 134,396 shares of company stock valued at $1,311,490. Insiders own 0.97% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MARA

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Public Sector Pension Investment Board boosted its holdings in MARA by 12.1% in the third quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 2,033,777 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $23,043,000 after purchasing an additional 219,097 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in MARA by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,838,149 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $14,999,000 after purchasing an additional 35,978 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its position in MARA by 11.5% in the 1st quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 634,172 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $5,099,000 after purchasing an additional 65,220 shares during the last quarter. Delta Global Management LP bought a new position in MARA in the 1st quarter worth about $5,064,000. Finally, Compass Rose Asset Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of MARA in the first quarter valued at approximately $4,243,000. 44.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting MARA

Here are the key news stories impacting MARA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: MARA authorized a discretionary share repurchase program of up to $500 million, which could signal management confidence and provide support for the stock. Article: MARA Holdings advances after Q3 results and buyback plan
• Positive Sentiment: The company sold 13,597 BTC for about $1.1 billion and used $750 million to repay its bitcoin-collateralized loans. The paydown reduces leverage and frees bitcoin previously pledged as collateral. Article: MARA dumps Bitcoin to erase collateral risk
• Neutral Sentiment: MARA is positioning its power assets for AI and data-center demand, with roughly 1 GW of capacity and a goal of exceeding 4 GW. That could diversify revenue beyond mining, but execution and financing will matter. Article: MARA touts AI demand and targets a 4 GW power portfolio
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter revenue was about $164 million, down 35% year over year and below analyst expectations. The reported profit was substantially supported by gains in bitcoin’s value, making the headline earnings beat less indicative of underlying operating performance. Article: MARA buyback boosts shares; what investors need to know
• Negative Sentiment: Management indicated more bitcoin sales may follow to fund strategic needs, which could reduce exposure to future bitcoin appreciation. Rosenblatt also lowered its price target from $15 to $11, while retaining a Buy rating. Article: MARA sold bitcoin and plans further sales

MARA Company Profile

MARA Holdings, Inc., formerly known as Marathon Digital Holdings, is a digital energy and infrastructure company focused primarily on Bitcoin mining. It develops and operates data-center infrastructure and specialized computing systems used to validate transactions on the Bitcoin network and earn bitcoin rewards. The company also works on energy-related strategies to support its computing operations, including using energy sources and infrastructure that can help power data centers. Its operations are concentrated in the United States, with expansion into international markets.