Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. Takes Position in Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC

Key Points

• Hussman Strategic Advisors initiated a new stake in Marathon Petroleum (NYSE: MPC) during Q4, buying 6,300 shares valued at about $1.03 million, while other institutions also added positions and institutional investors now own 76.77% of the company.
• Marathon beat Q1 expectations, reporting $4.07 EPS vs. $3.73 est. on $32.57 billion of revenue, and analysts project strong full‑year earnings (consensus ~26.3 EPS).
• The board declared a $1.00 quarterly dividend (annualized $4.00, yield ~1.6%, record May 20/pay June 10), as analyst sentiment has trended positive with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target of $241.81 (UBS raised its target to $280).

Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 6,300 shares of the oil and gas company's stock, valued at approximately $1,025,000.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. LVZ Inc. boosted its holdings in Marathon Petroleum by 11.2% during the 4th quarter. LVZ Inc. now owns 5,592 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $909,000 after acquiring an additional 565 shares during the period. Sandro Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Marathon Petroleum during the 4th quarter valued at $266,000. Horizon Investments LLC boosted its holdings in Marathon Petroleum by 45.3% during the 4th quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 10,943 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $1,780,000 after acquiring an additional 3,413 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S boosted its holdings in Marathon Petroleum by 37.9% during the 4th quarter. Danske Bank A S now owns 6,189 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $1,007,000 after acquiring an additional 1,700 shares during the period. Finally, Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Marathon Petroleum by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 33,511 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $5,450,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.77% of the company's stock.

Marathon Petroleum Price Performance

Shares of MPC stock opened at $246.77 on Monday. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a twelve month low of $137.30 and a twelve month high of $255.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $72.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.48, a P/E/G ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 0.53. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $226.00 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $199.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The oil and gas company reported $4.07 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.73 by $0.34. Marathon Petroleum had a return on equity of 13.90% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business had revenue of $32.57 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $30.89 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.77 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 26.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 20th will be issued a $1.00 dividend. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 20th. Marathon Petroleum's dividend payout ratio is currently 29.96%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Marathon Petroleum from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Weiss Ratings cut Marathon Petroleum from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Thursday, March 19th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $210.00 to $243.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $221.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Marathon Petroleum from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $241.81.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marathon Petroleum

In related news, insider Ricky D. Hessling sold 1,626 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.18, for a total transaction of $371,020.68. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 7,525 shares in the company, valued at $1,717,054.50. This represents a 17.77% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. In the last three months, insiders sold 4,473 shares of company stock valued at $1,015,428. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Marathon Petroleum News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and a higher near‑term earnings outlook have driven momentum and income appeal, cited as the primary reason for the recent surge in MPC shares. Marathon Petroleum (MPC) Is Up 12.3% After Analyst Upgrades And Dividend Declaration - What's Changed
• Positive Sentiment: The board declared a $1.00 quarterly dividend (record May 20, pay June 10), reinforcing cash-return policy and supporting yield-focused investor demand; the announcement accompanies an upgraded outlook in several writeups. Assessing Marathon Petroleum (MPC) Valuation After Dividend Declaration And Upgraded Earnings Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Market research firm coverage boosted sentiment—MPC made Zacks’ Rank #1 (Strong Buy) growth list, which can attract momentum and quant-driven flows. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for May 1st
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and previews are focusing on Q1 drivers—strong refining margins and utilization could help results, but details will matter. Investors should watch reported margins, renewables and midstream segments for nuance. What's in the Offing for Marathon Petroleum in Q1 Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation analysis pieces discuss whether the recent share gains are pricing in expected cash flows and DCF value—helpful for longer‑term allocation decisions but not an immediate catalyst. Is Marathon Petroleum (MPC) Pricing Reflect Recent Share Surge And DCF-Based Value Gap
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and “trending” coverage have amplified visibility; such coverage can reinforce flows but may fade after earnings. Marathon Petroleum Stock Is Trending Overnight: Here's Why
• Negative Sentiment: Macro energy risks remain: a Bank of England note warned that a sustained energy shock could push inflation and rates higher—an outcome that could pressure demand and margins if oil dislocations persist. This is a tail risk for refiners. Bank of England sounds warning of interest rate hikes ahead

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.

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