A member of Rep. Michael T. McCaul’s household sold as much as $100,000 worth of shares in oil producer MUR, according to a new congressional trade disclosure.
The transaction, filed under the STOCK Act’s reporting requirements, shows McCaul’s spouse offloaded Murphy Oil stock in late February. The disclosure lists the value of the sale in the $50,000–$100,000 range, putting the estimated midpoint around $75,000.
Murphy Oil Corporation is a mid-cap exploration and production company focused on upstream oil and natural gas operations. The Houston-based firm holds offshore assets in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and operates onshore shale positions across North America, giving investors direct exposure to swings in global crude prices.
Details of the Murphy Oil transaction
- Date: Feb. 20, 2026
- Action: Sell
- Reported value: $50,000–$100,000
- Owner: Spouse
Murphy Oil currently trades on the New York Stock Exchange with a market capitalization of roughly $5.3 billion. Shares recently changed hands around $36.81. The company’s appeal to investors often centers on its leverage to crude oil prices, its pipeline of offshore development projects, and its capital return strategy through dividends and share repurchases.
Energy stocks have remained closely tied to global oil market volatility, with prices reacting to OPEC+ production decisions, geopolitical tensions, and demand forecasts. Companies with offshore exposure like Murphy Oil can see particularly sharp valuation swings when crude benchmarks move.
A highly active congressional trader
McCaul, a Texas Republican who represents a state deeply tied to the oil and gas industry, has been one of the more active participants in congressional stock disclosures. Public records show more than 17,500 lifetime trades associated with his filings, reflecting a long history of reported transactions within the household portfolio.
While McCaul sits on the House Committee on Homeland Security and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs—where he has roles covering regions such as East Asia and the Pacific and Europe—those assignments do not directly oversee U.S. energy producers like Murphy Oil. Still, foreign policy developments often intersect with global energy markets, particularly through sanctions, maritime security, and geopolitical disruptions that influence crude supply.
Murphy Oil draws interest on Capitol Hill
McCaul is not the only lawmaker to report activity in the energy company. Congressional trading data indicates at least three other lawmakers have disclosed transactions involving Murphy Oil in recent years.
The company’s profile—mid-sized, globally exposed, and closely tied to commodity cycles—can make it attractive to investors looking for leverage to oil price moves without the scale of the largest integrated energy majors.
Under the STOCK Act, members of Congress and their families must disclose securities transactions typically within 45 days. Those filings provide the basis for public databases tracking latest congressional trades, offering a window into lawmakers’ investment activity.
The February sale suggests a reduction in exposure to Murphy Oil within the McCaul household portfolio, though disclosure forms do not reveal the total remaining position or the exact transaction price.