Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) Shares Down 1.3% – Time to Sell?

Shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) were down 1.3% during mid-day trading on Friday. The company traded as low as $367.72 and last traded at $372.4770. 2,401,341 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 3% from the average session volume of 2,473,308 shares. The stock had previously closed at $377.32.

More Marathon Petroleum News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Refining conditions may support MPC’s earnings: refinery outages, tight fuel inventories and cheaper heavy crude are cited as factors that could keep refining margins favorable and leave room for further upside. Article: 3 Refining Stocks That Have Doubled in 2026: What’s Next?
• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler raised its price target to $466 from $462 and maintained an Overweight rating, signaling continued analyst optimism. Article: Piper Sandler stock recommendations
• Neutral Sentiment: MPC’s $4.2 billion sale of its St. Paul Park and Mandan refineries and related marketing business is intended to fund a greater Gulf Coast focus, including investments to increase diesel output, crude throughput and premium gasoline exports. The strategic redirection could improve future returns, though results depend on how effectively the proceeds are reinvested. Article: Can MPC’s Gulf Coast Focus Fuel Stronger Future Refining Returns?
• Negative Sentiment: ETFs were reported as net sellers of MPC, with $20.1 million in shares sold on Wednesday. This may weigh on near-term sentiment, although the report also noted more ETFs buying than selling. Article: ETFs Are Net Sellers of Marathon Petroleum (MPC) on Wednesday

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $560.00 to $564.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Piper Sandler raised their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $462.00 to $466.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $433.00 price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a research report on Sunday, October 11th. Barclays upped their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $321.00 to $488.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 12th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $410.00 to $426.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $425.12.

Marathon Petroleum Trading Down 1.3%

The firm has a market cap of $101.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.80, a PEG ratio of 0.10 and a beta of 0.53. The company’s 50 day moving average is $421.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is $294.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.45 and a quick ratio of 0.89.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The oil and gas company reported $26.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $25.37 by $1.56. Marathon Petroleum had a return on equity of 55.82% and a net margin of 8.27%. The firm had revenue of $56.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $46.60 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.01 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 57.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 64.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 18th will be given a $1.00 dividend. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 18th. Marathon Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 15.13%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marathon Petroleum news, SVP Shawn Lyon sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $375.75, for a total value of $375,750.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 11,194 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,206,145.50. The trade was a 8.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Erin M. Brzezinski sold 570 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $362.79, for a total transaction of $206,790.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 1,576 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $571,757.04. This represents a 26.56% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 21,691 shares of company stock worth $7,780,127 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marathon Petroleum

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MPC. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the second quarter valued at approximately $6,648,958,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the 2nd quarter worth $1,029,611,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the 2nd quarter worth $621,832,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the 2nd quarter worth $380,745,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in Marathon Petroleum in the 2nd quarter valued at $280,761,000. 76.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Marathon Petroleum

Marathon Petroleum Corporation is an integrated downstream energy company focused on refining, marketing, and transporting petroleum products. Its refineries produce fuels and other products, including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt, and petrochemical feedstocks.

The company sells transportation fuels and related products through a network of branded locations and other wholesale and commercial channels, primarily in the United States. Its midstream operations, conducted largely through its affiliated partnership MPLX, include gathering, processing, and transporting natural gas and natural gas liquids, as well as storing and transporting crude oil and refined products.

Marathon Petroleum was established as an independent company in 2011, when it was spun off from Marathon Oil Corporation.