State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D Reduces Stock Position in Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC

Key Points

• State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D trimmed its Marathon Petroleum position by 4.5% in Q4, selling 4,781 shares and leaving it with 102,464 shares valued at about $16.66 million.
• Insider Ricky D. Hessling sold 1,626 shares on March 13 (avg $228.18), cutting his stake by 17.77; insiders sold 4,473 shares worth $1,015,428 in the last quarter and collectively own just 0.17% of the company.
• Marathon declared a $1.00 quarterly dividend (annual $4.00, yield ~1.6%, record May 20, pay June 10) while several analysts boosted price targets (e.g., Raymond James to $270, TD Cowen to $299), supporting recent positive momentum and a consensus "Moderate Buy" target of $241.81.

State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D trimmed its position in Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC - Free Report) by 4.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 102,464 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 4,781 shares during the quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D's holdings in Marathon Petroleum were worth $16,664,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in Marathon Petroleum in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new stake in Marathon Petroleum in the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new stake in Marathon Petroleum in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Rialto Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Marathon Petroleum by 721.4% during the fourth quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 230 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lodestone Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Marathon Petroleum during the fourth quarter valued at about $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.77% of the company's stock.

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 that occurred on Friday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.18, for a total value of $371,020.68. Following the sale, the insider owned 7,525 shares in the company, valued at $1,717,054.50. This represents a 17.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In the last quarter, insiders sold 4,473 shares of company stock valued at $1,015,428. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

More 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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on MPC shares. Raymond James Financial lifted their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $210.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Marathon Petroleum from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Thursday, March 19th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $205.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $263.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $198.00 to $299.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Marathon Petroleum presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $241.81.

Marathon Petroleum Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of Marathon Petroleum stock opened at $246.77 on Friday. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a 12-month low of $137.30 and a 12-month high of $255.77. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $226.00 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $199.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27. The company has a market cap of $72.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.48, a PEG ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 0.53.

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

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

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 given a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 20th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Marathon Petroleum's dividend payout ratio is currently 29.96%.

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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