Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) Stock Price Expected to Rise, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Analyst Says

Key Points

• JPMorgan Chase raised its price target on Marathon Petroleum to $235 from $184 but kept a "neutral" rating, implying only about a 1.4% upside from the prior close.
• Several other firms (including Goldman Sachs and UBS) have raised targets and issued Buy/Strong Buy ratings, leaving a MarketBeat consensus of "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $227.00.
• Marathon reported Q4 EPS of $4.07 (beating estimates) and $32.57 billion in revenue; the stock trades near $231.76, with a PE of 17.38 and a 12‑month range of $117.74–$255.77.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC - Get Free Report) had its price objective upped by investment analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $184.00 to $235.00 in a report released on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has a "neutral" rating on the oil and gas company's stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s target price would indicate a potential upside of 1.40% from the company's previous close.

Several other research firms also recently commented on MPC. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Marathon Petroleum from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $211.00 to $239.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Scotiabank raised Marathon Petroleum to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 27th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $221.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $205.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $227.00.

Marathon Petroleum Stock Down 0.1%

MPC stock opened at $231.76 on Thursday. Marathon Petroleum has a twelve month low of $117.74 and a twelve month high of $255.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27. The company has a market cap of $68.25 billion, a PE ratio of 17.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 0.58. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $216.35 and its 200 day simple moving average is $195.61.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The oil and gas company reported $4.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $32.57 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $30.89 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.77 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Marathon Petroleum will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Marathon Petroleum

In other Marathon Petroleum news, insider Ricky D. Hessling sold 1,810 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the insider owned 10,188 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,290,058.64. The trade was a 15.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders sold a total of 4,473 shares of company stock valued at $1,015,428 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MPC. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV raised its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 2,050 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $333,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. IFG Advisory LLC grew its position in Marathon Petroleum by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. IFG Advisory LLC now owns 3,429 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $558,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Associated Banc Corp grew its position in Marathon Petroleum by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Associated Banc Corp now owns 2,475 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $477,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Bluffs Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Marathon Petroleum by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Eagle Bluffs Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,357 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $709,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Auxano Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Auxano Advisors LLC now owns 2,630 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $428,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. 76.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More Marathon Petroleum News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded MPC from "hold" to "strong-buy," which increases buy‑side interest and may support further inflows. Zacks Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets raised its price target to $255 and kept an "outperform" rating, implying near‑term upside vs. the current level and giving funds a rationale to increase exposure. BMO Price Target Raise
• Positive Sentiment: MPC made Zacks' Rank #1 (Strong Buy) value stocks list, highlighting it as a top value pick and increasing visibility to retail and model‑based investors. Zacks Value List
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces note MPC (and peer Valero) have staged strong recoveries; commentary debates whether momentum continues, which keeps volatility possible in either direction. Surge Commentary
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative performance pieces show MPC outperforming many energy peers year‑to‑date, supporting the view of sector leadership but also raising expectations that could amplify moves on news. Outperformance Article
• Negative Sentiment: MPC shares fell during a session when the wider market rose; headlines flagged a notable decline in the latest trading session, which can trigger stop‑losses and short‑term technical selling. Session Drop
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary point to the US‑Iran ceasefire news as reducing geopolitical risk — a catalyst that pressured several energy names (including refiners) today by easing crude price fears and compressing near‑term margin expectations. Ceasefire Impact

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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