The Goldman Sachs Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) Stock

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) had its target price increased by investment analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $211.00 to $239.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the oil and gas company’s stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 5.72% from the company’s previous close.

MPC has been the subject of several other reports. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $213.00 to $217.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $182.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Mizuho boosted their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $198.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Zacks Research downgraded Marathon Petroleum from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $225.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $204.25.

Marathon Petroleum Stock Performance

MPC opened at $226.06 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $193.11 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $188.14. Marathon Petroleum has a 52-week low of $115.10 and a 52-week high of $236.10. The company has a market cap of $66.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.93, a PEG ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The oil and gas company reported $4.07 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.73 by $0.34. Marathon Petroleum had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 13.90%. The business had revenue of $32.57 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $30.89 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.77 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Marathon Petroleum will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Marathon Petroleum

In related news, insider Ricky D. Hessling sold 1,037 shares of Marathon Petroleum stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $229.08, for a total transaction of $237,555.96. Following the transaction, the insider owned 9,151 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,096,311.08. This trade represents a 10.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Marathon Petroleum

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MPC. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new position in Marathon Petroleum during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in Marathon Petroleum in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new position in Marathon Petroleum in the 3rd quarter valued at about $39,000. Finally, IAG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $39,000. 76.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marathon Petroleum News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Blowout Q4 results and big shareholder returns: MPC reported $4.07 adjusted EPS for Q4, topped revenue expectations, and returned substantial cash to shareholders—this underpins near-term earnings and buyback/dividend prospects. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs raised its price target to $239 and reiterated a “buy” rating, signaling institutional confidence and providing upward pressure on sentiment. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Recent intraday strength — MPC recently closed higher in a session where broader markets fell, indicating episodic demand for the name on company-specific news. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are split on 2026 outlooks: the analyst fair value moved slightly to $202.50, but firms are issuing both raises and trims, creating mixed expectations for forward upside. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro and geopolitical uncertainty (Middle East tensions, central-bank decisions) could push oil and refining margins around, producing volatility but unclear directional impact. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer-term industry note — a planned new U.S. refinery in Brownsville could alter supply dynamics over years, but it is not an immediate driver for MPC fundamentals. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by director Ricky D. Hessling: two recent sales (1,810 shares at ~$224.78 on Mar 11 and 1,037 shares at ~$229.08 on Mar 12) reduced his stake materially — such disclosures often pressure sentiment even when sales are routine. SEC filing: SEC Filing

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.