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

Shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the nineteen analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, ten have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $272.9375.

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on MPC shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $264.00 to $291.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $174.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $235.00 to $257.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Raymond James Financial boosted their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $285.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $224.00 to $260.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 26th.

Insider Activity at Marathon Petroleum

In other news, VP Michael A. Henschen II sold 6,336 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.82, for a total transaction of $1,703,243.52. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 16,900 shares in the company, valued at $4,543,058. The trade was a 27.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marathon Petroleum

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Marathon Petroleum during the fourth quarter worth $472,312,000. Capital Wealth Planning LLC grew its holdings in Marathon Petroleum by 49,392.0% during the fourth quarter. Capital Wealth Planning LLC now owns 1,498,124 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $245,157,000 after buying an additional 1,495,097 shares in the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Marathon Petroleum by 3,816.8% during the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 1,306,749 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $212,517,000 after buying an additional 1,273,386 shares in the last quarter. GHE LLC grew its holdings in Marathon Petroleum by 1,939.8% during the first quarter. GHE LLC now owns 649,542 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $158,605,000 after buying an additional 617,699 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Man Group plc grew its holdings in Marathon Petroleum by 2,175.0% during the fourth quarter. Man Group plc now owns 568,790 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $92,502,000 after buying an additional 543,788 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.77% of the company’s stock.

Marathon Petroleum Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of MPC stock opened at $243.11 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $70.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.87, a PEG ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 0.52. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $244.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $214.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 1.18. Marathon Petroleum has a fifty-two week low of $158.00 and a fifty-two week high of $272.46.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last issued its 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. The business had revenue of $34.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $33.42 billion. Marathon Petroleum had a return on equity of 16.22% and a net margin of 3.36%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($0.24) earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Marathon Petroleum will post 31.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Marathon Petroleum Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 20th were issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 20th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Marathon Petroleum’s payout ratio is currently 26.11%.

More Marathon Petroleum News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street’s broadly bullish analyst views suggest investors still see upside potential in Marathon Petroleum, even after its strong recent performance. Is It Worth Investing in Marathon Petroleum (MPC) Based on Wall Street’s Bullish Views?
• Positive Sentiment: One market analysis said MPC could be about 5.5% undervalued, which may attract value-focused buyers if investors believe the refining business remains resilient. Marathon Petroleum (MPC) Stock Could Be 5.5% Undervalued Despite Its Strong Run
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage comparing MPC with Delek and other refiners is keeping attention on valuation and earnings revisions, but it does not point to a clear near-term catalyst on its own. Delek vs. Marathon Petroleum: Which Stock Offers Better Refining Bet?
• Negative Sentiment: A trading-day recap noted that MPC declined more than the broader market, signaling some profit-taking or weaker sentiment in the near term. Marathon Petroleum (MPC) Sees a More Significant Dip Than Broader Market: Some Facts to Know
• Negative Sentiment: Oil-market headlines about the Strait of Hormuz reopening could weigh on refining and energy sentiment if traders expect less geopolitical support for crude prices. Marathon Petroleum (MPC) Faces A New Oil Reality As The Strait Of Hormuz Reopens

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.