Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the nineteen brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $272.9375.

MPC has been the topic of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $235.00 to $257.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $279.00 to $296.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $264.00 to $291.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. UBS Group set a $285.00 target price on Marathon Petroleum in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Raymond James Financial increased their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $285.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday.

Key Marathon Petroleum News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Marathon Petroleum was added to the Dow Jones Best-in-Class Indices after earning a top-quartile ESG score in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, which can support demand from sustainability-focused investors. Marathon Petroleum Named to Dow Jones Best-in-Class Indices
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target on MPC to $344 from $335, signaling continued analyst confidence and implying meaningful upside from current levels. Wells Fargo adjusts Marathon Petroleum price target
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks added MPC to its Rank #1 (Strong Buy) growth stocks list, reinforcing the view that the company remains attractive for growth and momentum investors. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for June 12th
• Positive Sentiment: Another Zacks note highlighted MPC as a strong momentum stock, which may be helping traders bid the shares higher in the near term. What Makes Marathon Petroleum (MPC) a Strong Momentum Stock: Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor commentary across several articles argued that MPC screens as a potentially attractive buy based on valuation and refining fundamentals, but these pieces were opinion-driven rather than new company-specific announcements. Is Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) A Good Stock To Buy Now?

Marathon Petroleum Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of Marathon Petroleum stock opened at $263.10 on Friday. Marathon Petroleum has a fifty-two week low of $158.00 and a fifty-two week high of $272.46. The firm has a market cap of $76.81 billion, a PE ratio of 17.17, a P/E/G ratio of 0.41 and a beta of 0.52. The business’s fifty day moving average is $244.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $212.40. 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 (NYSE:MPC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The oil and gas company reported $1.65 earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $34.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $33.42 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted ($0.24) EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Marathon Petroleum will post 31.05 earnings per share 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 given a $1.00 dividend. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 20th. Marathon Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.11%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marathon Petroleum

In related news, VP Michael A. Henschen II sold 6,336 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the vice president directly owned 16,900 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,543,058. This trade represents a 27.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Marathon Petroleum

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MPC. Navalign LLC acquired a new stake in Marathon Petroleum in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Berbice Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Berbice Capital Management LLC now owns 200 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the second quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. 76.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marathon Petroleum Company 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.