Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC Shares Purchased by Capital Wealth Planning LLC

Key Points

• Capital Wealth Planning LLC dramatically increased its Marathon Petroleum stake by 49,392% in the fourth quarter, ending with 1.5 million shares worth about $245.2 million. The position now represents about 1.6% of the fund’s holdings.
• Analysts remain upbeat on MPC, with several firms raising price targets, including Raymond James to $300 and TD Cowen to $320. MarketBeat data shows the stock’s consensus rating is still Moderate Buy with an average target price of $270.38.
• Marathon Petroleum reported a strong quarter and continues returning cash to shareholders, posting EPS of $1.65 versus $0.74 expected and revenue of $34.2 billion. The company also paid a $1.00 quarterly dividend, implying a 1.5% yield.

Capital Wealth Planning LLC boosted its position in Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC - Free Report) by 49,392.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,498,124 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,495,097 shares during the quarter. Marathon Petroleum comprises about 1.6% of Capital Wealth Planning LLC's holdings, making the stock its 24th largest position. Capital Wealth Planning LLC owned 0.50% of Marathon Petroleum worth $245,157,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MPC. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in Marathon Petroleum by 30.9% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 4,988 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $696,000 after purchasing an additional 1,178 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP raised its stake in Marathon Petroleum by 38.3% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 26,697 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $3,889,000 after purchasing an additional 7,396 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 26.6% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,221 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $369,000 after acquiring an additional 466 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 2nd quarter valued at about $8,505,000. Finally, AXA S.A. increased its stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 46.7% during the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 39,675 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $6,590,000 after acquiring an additional 12,639 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.77% of the company's stock.

More Marathon Petroleum News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Raymond James raised its price target on Marathon Petroleum to $300 from $285 and kept an outperform rating, signaling additional upside potential for MPC. Raymond James raises price target on Marathon Petroleum to 300 from 285
• Positive Sentiment: MPC was included on Zacks’ list of top growth and momentum stocks, reflecting strong earnings trends, favorable price action, and upbeat growth forecasts. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for June 10th
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted Marathon Petroleum as a beneficiary of tight fuel supply and strong refining margins, with one article noting MPC has rallied sharply over the past six months and still offers further upside. 2 Refining Stocks With 35%+ Upside in 6 Months Despite High Oil Prices
• Positive Sentiment: Marathon Petroleum’s strong recent earnings beat and dividend support continue to underpin investor confidence, with the company recently paying a $1.00 quarterly dividend. MarketBeat Marathon Petroleum stock page
• Neutral Sentiment: There was also an insider sale disclosed for VP Michael Henschen II, which may draw attention but does not necessarily change the company’s fundamentals. Marathon Petroleum VP Michael Henschen II Sells 6,336 Shares

Insider Activity at Marathon Petroleum

In related news, VP Michael A. Henschen II sold 6,336 shares of Marathon Petroleum stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.82, for a total value of $1,703,243.52. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 16,900 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,543,058. The trade was a 27.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Ricky D. Hessling sold 1,626 shares of Marathon Petroleum 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 owned 7,525 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,717,054.50. This trade represents a 17.77% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on MPC shares. Zacks Research raised shares of Marathon Petroleum from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum to $320.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Scotiabank upped their price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $174.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, UBS Group set a $285.00 price target on Marathon Petroleum in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. One equities 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, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $270.38.

Marathon Petroleum Stock Up 2.1%

NYSE MPC opened at $263.51 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $76.93 billion, a PE ratio of 17.20, a P/E/G ratio of 0.41 and a beta of 0.52. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $158.00 and a fifty-two week high of $272.46. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $243.74 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $211.55. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The oil and gas company reported $1.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.91. The firm had revenue of $34.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $33.42 billion. Marathon Petroleum had a return on equity of 16.22% and a net margin of 3.36%.Marathon Petroleum's quarterly revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned ($0.24) EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 30.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 20th were paid a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 20th. Marathon Petroleum's dividend payout ratio is 26.11%.

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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