Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS Has $7.78 Million Stock Position in Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC

Key Points

• Dividend & analyst momentum: The board declared a $1.00 quarterly dividend (record May 20, pay June 10) and multiple analyst upgrades have pushed price targets into the mid‑$200s, leaving a MarketBeat consensus of "Moderate Buy" with a $241.81 target.
• Q1 results beat: Marathon reported $4.07 EPS versus $3.73 expected and revenue of $32.57B (vs. $30.89B consensus), bolstering the near‑term outlook.
• Ownership changes: Kornitzer Capital trimmed its stake by 9.5% to 47,831 shares (worth $7.78M), insiders sold 4,473 shares in the quarter (including Ricky D. Hessling's 1,810‑share sale), while institutional investors own about 76.77% of the stock.

Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS reduced its position in Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC - Free Report) by 9.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 47,831 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 5,000 shares during the period. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS's holdings in Marathon Petroleum were worth $7,779,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Boston Partners lifted its stake in Marathon Petroleum by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 6,305,428 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $1,214,522,000 after purchasing an additional 141,691 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its stake in Marathon Petroleum by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 1,861,020 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $358,693,000 after purchasing an additional 35,847 shares during the last quarter. Amundi lifted its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 172,172 shares during the last quarter. National Pension Service lifted its stake in Marathon Petroleum by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 849,268 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $163,688,000 after purchasing an additional 14,308 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers lifted its stake in Marathon Petroleum by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 669,237 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $128,989,000 after purchasing an additional 11,948 shares during the last quarter. 76.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Marathon Petroleum

In other news, insider Ricky D. Hessling sold 1,810 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.78, for a total transaction of $406,851.80. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 10,188 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,290,058.64. This trade represents a 15.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders have sold 4,473 shares of company stock worth $1,015,428 over the last quarter. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Marathon Petroleum

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MPC has been the topic of several research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $239.00 to $264.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Raymond James Financial increased their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $210.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $221.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Scotiabank increased their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $174.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $263.00 to $279.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marathon Petroleum presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $241.81.

Marathon Petroleum Stock Down 0.6%

Marathon Petroleum stock opened at $246.77 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $72.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.48, a P/E/G ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a twelve month low of $137.30 and a twelve month high of $255.77. The company's 50-day moving average price is $226.00 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $199.36.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC - Get Free Report) last announced 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 company had revenue of $32.57 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $30.89 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.77 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 26.3 EPS for the current year.

Marathon Petroleum Dividend Announcement

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

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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