Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC Shares Newly Purchased by Viewpoint Investment Partners Corp

Key Points

• Viewpoint Investment Partners acquired 2,200 Marathon Petroleum shares worth approximately $870,000, while institutional investors collectively own 76.77% of MPC.
• Analyst sentiment is favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $424.31; Morgan Stanley and Raymond James recently raised their targets substantially.
• MPC reported quarterly EPS of $17.73, beating estimates, while revenue rose 53.5% year over year to $51.99 billion. The company also pays a $1.00 quarterly dividend, though insiders have sold shares recently.

Viewpoint Investment Partners Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 2,200 shares of the oil and gas company's stock, valued at approximately $870,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MPC. Focus Financial Network Inc. lifted its position in Marathon Petroleum by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Focus Financial Network Inc. now owns 1,066 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $422,000 after buying an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. CRA Financial Services LLC boosted its stake in Marathon Petroleum by 1.2% in the third quarter. CRA Financial Services LLC now owns 1,844 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $729,000 after buying an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Marathon Petroleum by 1.0% in the third quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,130 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $842,000 after buying an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its position in Marathon Petroleum by 7.8% during the third quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 316 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $125,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LexAurum Advisors LLC grew its position in Marathon Petroleum by 2.6% during the third quarter. LexAurum Advisors LLC now owns 930 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $368,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. 76.77% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MPC has been the topic of several research reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $265.00 to $453.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Marathon Petroleum from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, September 4th. Raymond James Financial upped their price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $350.00 to $445.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, September 14th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Marathon Petroleum from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b+)" rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Evercore set a $330.00 target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $424.31.

Marathon Petroleum Trading Up 2.8%

NYSE MPC opened at $470.02 on Tuesday. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a 1-year low of $161.93 and a 1-year high of $493.98. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $409.37 and a 200-day moving average of $283.02. The firm has a market cap of $137.22 billion, a PE ratio of 16.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.12 and a beta of 0.54.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The oil and gas company reported $17.73 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $51.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $40.87 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.96 EPS. Marathon Petroleum's quarterly revenue was up 53.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 64.12 EPS for the current year.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

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

Trending Headlines about Marathon Petroleum

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

• Positive Sentiment: Marathon Petroleum is heading into earnings with strong refining margins, raising expectations that the company could deliver solid results and maintain favorable near-term earnings momentum. Marathon Petroleum Rides Firm Refining Margins Into Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Raymond James raised its price target for MPC to $560, signaling increased confidence in the refiner’s earnings outlook and potential upside. Raymond James Raises Target for Marathon Petroleum
• Positive Sentiment: A Zacks article identifies Marathon Petroleum as a No. 1 Strong Buy, adding to the positive analyst and quantitative sentiment surrounding the stock. This Top Oils and Energy Stock Is a No. 1 Strong Buy
• Positive Sentiment: High U.S. gasoline prices, thin fuel stockpiles and disrupted shipping routes are improving the operating environment for refiners, potentially supporting MPC’s margins and cash generation. Three Oil Stocks Retail Investors Are Watching
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry commentary on Phillips 66’s crude flexibility reinforces the importance of feedstock discounts and crude spreads to refining profitability, although the article does not provide a direct new catalyst for MPC. How PSX’s Flexible Crude Slate Supports Refining Economics
• Negative Sentiment: ETFs were reported as net sellers of Marathon Petroleum shares, creating modest technical or near-term supply pressure despite the broader favorable fundamental narrative. ETFs Are Net Sellers of Marathon Petroleum

Insider Buying and Selling at Marathon Petroleum

In other news, SVP Shawn M. 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 transaction, the senior vice president owned 11,194 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,206,145.50. This trade represents a 8.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Erin M. Brzezinski sold 570 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 27th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $571,757.04. This represents a 26.56% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 21,691 shares of company stock worth $7,780,127. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Marathon Petroleum Company Profile

Marathon Petroleum Corporation NYSE: MPC is an American downstream energy company engaged in refining, marketing, and transporting petroleum products. Its operations include converting crude oil into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt, propane, and other refined products used by transportation, industrial, and commercial customers.

The company markets fuel under the Marathon brand and supplies products to independent marketers, commercial businesses, and other wholesale customers. Marathon Petroleum also owns a general-partner interest and significant limited-partner interest in MPLX Inc, a midstream company that operates pipelines, storage facilities, terminals, and gathering and processing assets supporting the movement of crude oil and natural gas liquids.

Marathon Petroleum's refining and midstream activities are concentrated in the United States, with assets serving regions across the Midwest, Gulf Coast, and West Coast.

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