Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) Given New $518.00 Price Target at Citigroup

Key Points

• Citigroup raised Marathon Petroleum’s price target to $518 from $318 while maintaining a neutral rating, implying roughly 8.5% upside from the prior close.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive, with MarketBeat reporting a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $407.88; other firms, including Piper Sandler and Goldman Sachs, also recently increased their targets.
• Marathon Petroleum reported quarterly EPS of $17.73, beating estimates of $14.27, while revenue rose 53.5% year over year to $51.99 billion. Shares traded near their 52-week high at $477.50.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC - Get Free Report) had its price objective lifted by Citigroup from $318.00 to $518.00 in a report released on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "neutral" rating on the oil and gas company's stock. Citigroup's price target points to a potential upside of 8.48% from the company's previous close.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on MPC. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $344.00 to $462.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 3rd. Evercore set a $330.00 price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $376.00 to $472.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, September 21st. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $410.00 to $426.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $359.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $407.88.

Marathon Petroleum Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MPC traded up $18.70 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $477.50. 1,643,831 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,488,469. The company has a market capitalization of $139.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.14 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. Marathon Petroleum has a 52-week low of $161.93 and a 52-week high of $477.73. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $383.45 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $302.84.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The oil and gas company reported $17.73 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 quarterly revenue was up 53.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.96 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Marathon Petroleum will post 61.46 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marathon Petroleum news, SVP Shawn M. 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 transaction of $375,750.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 11,194 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,206,145.50. The trade was a 8.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Molly R. Benson sold 17,196 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $358.57, for a total transaction of $6,165,969.72. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 30,334 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,876,862.38. The trade was a 36.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 21,691 shares of company stock valued at $7,780,127 over the last quarter. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marathon Petroleum

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. McCollum Christoferson Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the third quarter valued at about $277,000. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Marathon Petroleum by 471.0% in the third quarter. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 18,705 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $7,396,000 after buying an additional 15,429 shares during the period. Refined Wealth Management lifted its holdings in Marathon Petroleum by 0.8% in the third quarter. Refined Wealth Management now owns 24,415 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $9,654,000 after buying an additional 191 shares during the period. Fragasso Financial Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in Marathon Petroleum in the third quarter worth about $310,000. Finally, NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC boosted its position in Marathon Petroleum by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 5,997 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $2,371,000 after acquiring an additional 139 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.77% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Marathon Petroleum

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target to $488 from $321 and upgraded or reaffirmed an “overweight” stance. The new target implies additional upside and signals confidence in MPC’s earnings outlook and refining-market exposure.
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum remains a major catalyst. Benzinga reported that MPC is approaching a 10-month winning streak, a pattern last seen in 2013. Several Zacks reports also identified MPC as a strong momentum stock, supported by rising earnings estimates and favorable Style Scores. Marathon Petroleum Nears 10-Month Winning Streak MPC Is a Great Momentum Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Value-focused coverage remains supportive. Zacks highlighted MPC among stocks combining attractive PEG ratios with growth potential, alongside rising earnings estimates and strategic catalysts. Four Value Stocks to Buy Using the PEG Ratio
• Neutral Sentiment: DBS maintained its Hold rating. This suggests the firm sees limited incremental upside or believes the recent rally has largely reflected MPC’s improving fundamentals. DBS Keeps Its Hold Rating on MPC
• Negative Sentiment: Potential changes to Russian diesel flows could create uncertainty. A proposed U.S.-Russia diesel arrangement is intended to reduce fuel prices, but political opposition and possible market disruption could pressure refining margins if additional supply reaches the market. Proposed Russian Diesel Deal

Marathon Petroleum Company Profile

Marathon Petroleum Corporation NYSE: MPC is an integrated downstream energy company engaged primarily in refining, marketing and transporting petroleum products. The company converts crude oil and other feedstocks into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt, propane and other refined products used by consumers, businesses and industrial customers.

Marathon Petroleum operates refineries and related logistics assets in the United States, with a refining and marketing presence serving markets across the Midwest, Gulf Coast and West Coast.

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