14,656 Shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC Bought by Westwind Capital

Key Points

• Westwind Capital initiated a new MPC position, purchasing 14,656 shares valued at approximately $5.8 million. Marathon Petroleum represents 1.4% of the fund’s portfolio, while institutional investors collectively own 76.77% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: MPC has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $379.94, with several firms recently maintaining or upgrading their buy recommendations.
• Strong refining margins and earnings are supporting the stock. MPC reported quarterly EPS of $17.73, well above the $14.27 estimate, while revenue rose 53.5% year over year; the company also declared a $1.00 quarterly dividend.

Westwind Capital purchased a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 14,656 shares of the oil and gas company's stock, valued at approximately $5,795,000. Marathon Petroleum comprises 1.4% of Westwind Capital's portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest position.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new position in Marathon Petroleum during the second quarter worth $26,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Main Street Group LTD acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the 1st quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Cetera Trust Company N.A purchased a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 2nd quarter worth $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.77% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Marathon Petroleum

In other news, SVP Shawn Lyon sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 11,194 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,206,145.50. This trade represents a 8.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Erin M. Brzezinski sold 570 shares of Marathon Petroleum stock in a transaction that occurred 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 $571,757.04. This trade represents a 26.56% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 21,691 shares of company stock valued at $7,780,127. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on MPC. Zacks Research raised shares of Marathon Petroleum from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, September 4th. Evercore set a $330.00 price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a report on Thursday, October 1st. Weiss Ratings upgraded Marathon Petroleum from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $357.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. One research 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marathon Petroleum presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $379.94.

Marathon Petroleum Trading Up 4.8%

Marathon Petroleum stock traded up $21.30 during trading on Thursday, hitting $463.56. The company had a trading volume of 2,750,091 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,500,558. The stock has a market cap of $135.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.13 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a 1-year low of $161.93 and a 1-year high of $467.85. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $377.66 and its 200-day simple moving average is $299.77.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The oil and gas company reported $17.73 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $14.27 by $3.46. Marathon Petroleum had a return on equity of 31.96% and a net margin of 5.48%.The business had revenue of $51.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $40.87 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.96 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 53.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 61.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 19th were paid a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 19th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. Marathon Petroleum's dividend payout ratio is 13.75%.

Key Headlines Impacting Marathon Petroleum

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

• Positive Sentiment: Refining-margin tailwinds remain the primary catalyst. Rising gasoline and diesel crack spreads, along with below-normal distillate inventories—particularly on the U.S. East Coast—are supporting expectations for stronger near-term refining earnings. MPC’s large refining footprint gives it significant sensitivity to higher margins. Marathon Petroleum gains as refining-margin tailwinds stay strong
• Positive Sentiment: Buyback capacity adds support. Marathon Petroleum reportedly had approximately $6.1 billion remaining under its share-repurchase authorization at the end of the second quarter. Strong operating cash flow could allow the company to return significant capital to shareholders if refining conditions persist.
• Positive Sentiment: Operational and strategic improvements are reinforcing the bullish view. Recent coverage highlights throughput near 3 million barrels per day, projects aimed at increasing jet-fuel and specialty-gasoline production, and benefits from MPC’s integrated refining and midstream network. These initiatives could help the company capture more value during periods of tight global refining capacity. Can Marathon Petroleum Turn High-Utilization Refining Wins Into a Durable Competitive Edge?
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target substantially, but kept a neutral rating. The target increased from $304 to $457, roughly in line with the recently cited market price, suggesting that much of the favorable refining outlook may already be reflected in MPC shares.
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional positioning is mixed. Several major investors, including JPMorgan, BlackRock and Sixth Street Partners, added shares, while Harris Associates, Wellington Management and Boston Partners reduced positions. Government awards, including naval distillate contracts, provide business activity but are not the main stock catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider and congressional selling could temper sentiment. MPC insiders reported no open-market purchases and 10 sales over the past six months, while members of Congress also reported selling. These transactions do not necessarily reflect company fundamentals, but they offer a potential cautionary signal after the stock’s strong run.

Marathon Petroleum 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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