Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC Takes Position in Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC

Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 35,478 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,770,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. CenterBook Partners LP bought a new stake in Marathon Petroleum during the fourth quarter valued at about $721,000. Manchester Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Marathon Petroleum by 120.5% during the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 569 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $93,000 after purchasing an additional 311 shares in the last quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in Marathon Petroleum during the fourth quarter valued at about $134,000. IMA Advisory Services Inc. boosted its position in Marathon Petroleum by 29.1% during the fourth quarter. IMA Advisory Services Inc. now owns 462 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $75,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Marathon Petroleum by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 214,697 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $34,916,000 after purchasing an additional 3,621 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.77% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Marathon Petroleum

In related news, insider Ricky D. Hessling sold 1,626 shares of Marathon Petroleum stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.18, for a total transaction of $371,020.68. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 7,525 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,717,054.50. The trade was a 17.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Michael A. Henschen II sold 6,336 shares of Marathon Petroleum stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.82, for a total value of $1,703,243.52. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 16,900 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,543,058. This trade represents a 27.27% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on MPC. Mizuho raised their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $224.00 to $284.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $224.00 to $260.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Raymond James Financial raised their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $285.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings downgraded Marathon Petroleum from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $235.00 to $257.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $270.38.

Trending Headlines about Marathon Petroleum

Here are the key news stories impacting Marathon Petroleum this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Raymond James raised its price target on Marathon Petroleum to $300 from $285 and kept an outperform rating, signaling additional upside potential for MPC. Raymond James raises price target on Marathon Petroleum to 300 from 285
• Positive Sentiment: MPC was included on Zacks’ list of top growth and momentum stocks, reflecting strong earnings trends, favorable price action, and upbeat growth forecasts. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for June 10th
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted Marathon Petroleum as a beneficiary of tight fuel supply and strong refining margins, with one article noting MPC has rallied sharply over the past six months and still offers further upside. 2 Refining Stocks With 35%+ Upside in 6 Months Despite High Oil Prices
• Positive Sentiment: Marathon Petroleum’s strong recent earnings beat and dividend support continue to underpin investor confidence, with the company recently paying a $1.00 quarterly dividend. MarketBeat Marathon Petroleum stock page
• Neutral Sentiment: There was also an insider sale disclosed for VP Michael Henschen II, which may draw attention but does not necessarily change the company’s fundamentals. Marathon Petroleum VP Michael Henschen II Sells 6,336 Shares

Marathon Petroleum Trading Up 2.1%

Marathon Petroleum stock opened at $263.51 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a 52 week low of $158.00 and a 52 week high of $272.46. The company has a market capitalization of $76.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.41 and a beta of 0.52. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $243.74 and a 200 day moving average price of $211.55.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The oil and gas company reported $1.65 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.91. Marathon Petroleum had a return on equity of 16.22% and a net margin of 3.36%.The firm had revenue of $34.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $33.42 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted ($0.24) earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 30.05 EPS for the current year.

Marathon Petroleum Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 20th were issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 20th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Marathon Petroleum’s payout ratio is 26.11%.

Marathon Petroleum Profile

Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: MPC) is a U.S.-based downstream energy company engaged principally in the refining, marketing, supply and transportation of petroleum products. The company was formed through a spin-off from Marathon Oil in 2011 and operates an integrated system of refining and logistics assets that support the production and distribution of transportation fuels and other refined petroleum products.

Marathon Petroleum’s operations include refining crude oil into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt and other specialty products, as well as managing the distribution and storage infrastructure needed to move those products to market.