Erin Brzezinski Sells 570 Shares of Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) Stock

Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) VP Erin Brzezinski sold 570 shares of Marathon Petroleum stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $362.79, for a total value of $206,790.30. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 1,576 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $571,757.04. The trade was a 26.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Marathon Petroleum Price Performance

MPC opened at $382.08 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $314.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $263.02. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a 12-month low of $161.93 and a 12-month high of $383.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The firm has a market cap of $111.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.13, a PEG ratio of 0.24 and a beta of 0.53.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The oil and gas company reported $17.73 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $14.27 by $3.46. The company had revenue of $51.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $40.87 billion. Marathon Petroleum had a return on equity of 31.96% and a net margin of 5.48%.Marathon Petroleum’s revenue was up 53.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.96 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 46.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Marathon Petroleum Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 19th will be given a $1.00 dividend. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 19th. Marathon Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.75%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marathon Petroleum

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MPC. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 36,834.6% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 128,810,637 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $32,933,016,000 after buying an additional 128,461,884 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the 2nd quarter valued at $6,648,958,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,029,611,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Marathon Petroleum during the 4th quarter worth $472,312,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in Marathon Petroleum during the 2nd quarter worth $621,832,000. 76.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on MPC shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $235.00 to $257.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Marathon Petroleum from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Marathon Petroleum from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $224.00 to $260.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Marathon Petroleum from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, May 10th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $315.06.

Marathon Petroleum News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Geopolitical tensions are boosting the energy complex. Reports of U.S.-Iran attacks near the Strait of Hormuz pushed oil prices higher, lifting energy stocks and potentially supporting refinery margins. A separate market outlook also points to a global fuel squeeze that could create another period of elevated refining profitability. Energy stocks rally as fresh U.S.-Iran attacks drive oil prices higher Goldman Sachs Sees Major Shift Coming for Oil Markets
• Positive Sentiment: Recent operating results remain a key support. Marathon Petroleum’s latest reported quarter significantly exceeded analyst expectations, with EPS of $17.73 versus a $14.27 estimate and revenue growth of 53.5% year over year. Its low payout ratio and recently announced $1.00 quarterly dividend also provide shareholder support.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment is favorable, but targets appear conservative. MPC has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating, while the reported average price target of $312.50 is below the current trading range. Institutional ownership remains high at approximately 76.8%, with several investors recently building positions.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple insiders have sold shares. Senior Vice President Shawn M. Lyon sold 1,425 shares in two transactions for roughly $532,000, while Vice President and Controller Erin M. Brzezinski sold 570 shares for about $207,000. The sales reduced their respective holdings by 8.2% and 26.6%. Although these transactions may reflect personal financial decisions, the cluster of selling near record levels could temper investor enthusiasm. MPC insider transaction filing

About Marathon Petroleum

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.