Insider Selling: Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) Insider Sells 1,037 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Insider sale: Marathon insider Ricky Hessling sold 1,037 shares on March 12 at an average price of $229.08 for about $237,556, trimming his holding by 10.18% to 9,151 shares (worth ≈$2.10M).
• Strong results and shareholder returns: MPC reported blowout Q4 adjusted EPS of $4.07 (above estimates) and recently paid a $1.00 quarterly dividend (annualized $4.00, ~1.8% yield; DPR ≈29.96%).
• Market view and risks: The stock trades near its 12‑month high with a market cap ~ $67.4B and a consensus "Moderate Buy" (avg target ~$204.25) amid upgrades like Goldman’s $239 target, but faces near‑term margin risk from factors such as the IEA's planned 400M‑barrel release and potential new refinery capacity.

Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC - Get Free Report) insider Ricky Hessling sold 1,037 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $229.08, for a total transaction of $237,555.96. Following the sale, the insider owned 9,151 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,096,311.08. This trade represents a 10.18% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Marathon Petroleum Price Performance

Marathon Petroleum stock traded down $1.51 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $228.56. 668,932 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,489,175. The stock has a market capitalization of $67.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.13, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.69. The business's 50-day moving average is $191.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $187.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 1.26. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a 12 month low of $115.10 and a 12 month high of $236.10.

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 return on equity of 13.90% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business had revenue of $32.57 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $30.89 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.77 EPS. Marathon Petroleum's revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 8.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th were paid a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 18th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. Marathon Petroleum's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.96%.

Key Marathon Petroleum News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Blowout Q4 results and big shareholder returns — MPC reported Q4 adjusted EPS of $4.07 (well above estimates) and disclosed substantial cash returns for 2025; that earnings strength and solid refining margins are a primary reason the stock is rallying. Q4 results
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs raised its price target to $239 and kept a "buy" rating — this upgrade provides near‑term upside support from institutional coverage and likely helped intraday buying interest. Goldman Sachs upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Positive market commentary and value‑stock writeups (Zacks, Blockonomi) are reinforcing investor interest in MPC as a long‑term value play given its cash returns and attractive valuation metrics versus history. Zacks value note
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain split on 2026 outlook — the street's fair‑value estimate nudged up modestly (~1.5%), but differences over 2026 assumptions mean divergent price targets and mixed upside expectations. This creates volatility rather than a clear directional catalyst. Analyst split
• Neutral Sentiment: Stock showed relative strength while the broader market fell — confirms buyers are focusing on company fundamentals, but it’s a short‑term signal that may fade without follow‑through. Market relative strength
• Negative Sentiment: IEA plans a coordinated release of 400M barrels from emergency reserves — increased supply could weigh on crude and refined product prices, pressuring MPC’s refinery margins if the move persists. IEA release
• Negative Sentiment: Long‑term competitive risk: announcement of the first new U.S. refinery in decades (Brownsville, TX) backed by Reliance could add future capacity and competition — this is a longer‑horizon negative for refining spread expectations. New refinery news

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $202.00 to $194.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $183.00 to $198.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $211.00 to $239.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $216.00 to $205.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Marathon Petroleum from a "hold (c)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $204.25.

Institutional Trading of Marathon Petroleum

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MPC. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new position in Marathon Petroleum in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new position in Marathon Petroleum during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Berbice Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Marathon Petroleum by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Berbice Capital Management LLC now owns 200 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 2nd quarter worth about $33,000. Institutional investors own 76.77% of the company's stock.

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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