American Century Companies Inc. Sells 231,741 Shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC

Key Points

• American Century cut its Marathon Petroleum stake by 63.7%, selling 231,741 shares in Q3 and now holds 132,035 shares valued at about $25.45 million.
• Marathon recently beat estimates (Q: $4.07 EPS vs $3.73 consensus; revenue $32.57B vs $30.89B) and carries a broker consensus of "Moderate Buy" with a $202.50 average price target.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.00 (annualized $4.00, ~1.8% yield), though the stock is near its 1‑year high and faces valuation and margin volatility risks given a debt/equity of ~1.27.

American Century Companies Inc. lessened its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC - Free Report) by 63.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 132,035 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 231,741 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc.'s holdings in Marathon Petroleum were worth $25,449,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Marathon Petroleum during the second quarter worth $25,000. IAG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 3rd quarter worth $39,000. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 2nd quarter worth $33,000. Transce3nd LLC boosted its stake in Marathon Petroleum by 10,250.0% in the second quarter. Transce3nd LLC now owns 207 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 205 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GGM Financials LLC acquired a new stake in Marathon Petroleum in the third quarter valued at about $46,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.77% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Zacks Research downgraded Marathon Petroleum from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $183.00 to $198.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Raymond James Financial increased their price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $205.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $204.00 to $211.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $182.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marathon Petroleum presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $202.50.

Marathon Petroleum Stock Performance

Marathon Petroleum stock opened at $221.21 on Monday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $187.19 and a 200-day moving average of $186.52. The company has a market capitalization of $65.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.69. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a 1 year low of $115.10 and a 1 year high of $228.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.26 and a quick ratio of 0.74.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The oil and gas company reported $4.07 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.73 by $0.34. Marathon Petroleum had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 13.90%. The business had revenue of $32.57 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $30.89 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.77 EPS. The firm's revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th will be issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 18th. Marathon Petroleum's payout ratio is 29.96%.

More Marathon Petroleum News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Refiner tailwind as crude rallies — multiple pieces note that surging oil (Brent near mid-$80s) and Middle East tensions are lifting expectations for higher refining margins, which benefits large refiners like Marathon. Oil Is Surging and These 3 Energy Stocks Could Double Your Money Before 2027
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/market recognition — Broker consensus remains constructive (consensus "Moderate Buy") and analysts/public commentators highlight Marathon's scale, cash flows and recent earnings beat that support the bullish case. Marathon Petroleum Corporation NYSE: MPC Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages
• Positive Sentiment: Company fundamentals and momentum — Recent earnings topped estimates (quarterly EPS beat and robust revenue), strong cash generation, and technical momentum are cited as reasons the stock is in a sustained uptrend. Why One Energy Expert Is Betting on These 3 Oil Stocks Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Trending stock attention — Zacks and Yahoo stories note heightened retail/investor interest and search activity, which can amplify moves but does not itself change fundamentals. Here is What to Know Beyond Why Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector positioning — Articles highlighting refiners/midstream as places to hide or earn yield emphasize diversification across upstream, refining and pipelines; Marathon is featured as a major downstream play but is sensitive to cycle swings. Energy sector coverage referencing Marathon
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and profit‑cycle risk — Several pieces question whether the multi‑year share gains are fully justified and flag that the stock is near its 1‑year high; after a strong rally, upside could be limited if refining margins normalize. Is Marathon Petroleum (MPC) Price Justified After Strong Multi‑Year Share Gains?
• Negative Sentiment: Exposure to volatility and leverage — Marathon benefits from higher crude but remains exposed to swings in oil and refining margins; its debt/equity (~1.27) and modest net margin (~3%) make it sensitive to margin compression and macro shocks. Marathon Petroleum (MPC) Valuation Check After Energy Sector Rally And Strong Investor Optimism

Marathon Petroleum 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.

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