Kesler Norman & Wride LLC Invests $783,000 in Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC

Key Points

• Kesler Norman & Wride LLC disclosed a new fourth-quarter stake in Marathon Petroleum, buying 4,815 shares valued at about $783,000.
• Institutional interest in MPC remains strong overall, with 76.77% of the stock owned by institutions and several large investors adding or expanding positions during the period.
• Marathon Petroleum reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.65 versus $0.74 expected and revenue of $34.20 billion, while also declaring a quarterly dividend of $1.00 per share.

Kesler Norman & Wride LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 4,815 shares of the oil and gas company's stock, valued at approximately $783,000.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in Marathon Petroleum in the 4th quarter worth approximately $472,312,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in Marathon Petroleum by 332.4% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 320,499 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $52,123,000 after buying an additional 246,384 shares during the period. Merewether Investment Management LP bought a new position in Marathon Petroleum during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,548,000. Amundi grew its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 11.8% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 1,626,862 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $314,830,000 after buying an additional 172,172 shares during the period. Finally, Boston Partners grew its stake in Marathon Petroleum by 2.3% in the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 6,305,428 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $1,214,522,000 after acquiring an additional 141,691 shares during the period. 76.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Marathon Petroleum News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: MPC was highlighted in a Zacks “Strong Buy” growth stock list, which can attract momentum and growth-oriented buyers. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for June 3rd
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary are focusing on Marathon’s West Coast refining assets as California fuel supply remains tight, suggesting a potential earnings tailwind if regional crack spreads stay strong. Can MPC's West Coast Assets Become a Bigger Earnings Driver?
• Positive Sentiment: Broader energy-market strength is supporting refiners like MPC, as crude prices rebound and refined-product markets tighten amid renewed Middle East supply concerns, which can improve refining margins. Marathon Petroleum's Top Safety Performance Recognized at AFPM Safety Awards
• Neutral Sentiment: Marathon Petroleum was recognized for top safety performance at AFPM awards, a positive operating headline but not an immediate earnings catalyst. Marathon Petroleum's Top Safety Performance Recognized at AFPM Safety Awards
• Neutral Sentiment: The stock has already had a strong multi-month run, so some investors may be weighing valuation after sizable gains even as fundamentals remain supportive. Marathon Petroleum (MPC) Valuation Check After Strong Multi‑Month Share Price Gains

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MPC has been the subject of several research analyst reports. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum to $320.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. UBS Group set a $285.00 target price on Marathon Petroleum in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Marathon Petroleum to $335.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $197.00 to $228.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $200.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $268.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Ricky D. Hessling sold 1,810 shares of Marathon Petroleum stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.78, for a total transaction of $406,851.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 10,188 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,290,058.64. The trade was a 15.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders sold a total of 4,473 shares of company stock worth $1,015,428 over the last 90 days. 0.17% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Marathon Petroleum Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of NYSE:MPC opened at $267.33 on Thursday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $242.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $209.17. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a one year low of $155.93 and a one year high of $272.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.04 billion, a PE ratio of 17.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 0.52.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The oil and gas company reported $1.65 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.91. Marathon Petroleum had a return on equity of 16.22% and a net margin of 3.36%.The company had revenue of $34.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $33.42 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned ($0.24) EPS. Marathon Petroleum's revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 30.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 20th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. Marathon Petroleum's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.11%.

Marathon Petroleum Company 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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