Short Interest in Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) Declines By 15.4%

Key Points

• Short interest in Marathon Petroleum fell 15.4% to 6,803,010 shares as of March 31, implying a short-interest ratio of about 2.2 days and representing roughly 2.3% of the company's shares.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive with several firms raising price targets (Jefferies to $279, UBS to $280, BMO to $255), an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $237.50.
• Insider and institutional activity: an insider sold 1,810 shares in March (insiders own 0.17% of stock), while institutional investors hold about 76.77% of Marathon's shares, reflecting mixed ownership dynamics despite recent insider selling.

Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 6,803,010 shares, a decrease of 15.4% from the March 15th total of 8,038,630 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 3,094,852 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.2 days. Approximately 2.3% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marathon Petroleum news, insider Ricky D. Hessling sold 1,810 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.78, for a total value of $406,851.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 10,188 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,290,058.64. This represents a 15.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 4,473 shares of company stock valued at $1,015,428. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marathon Petroleum

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Cidel Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 14.9% in the first quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 9,835 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $2,402,000 after buying an additional 1,279 shares in the last quarter. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 16.2% in the first quarter. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 2,911 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $711,000 after buying an additional 405 shares in the last quarter. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. bought a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the first quarter valued at $224,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 33.3% in the first quarter. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. now owns 224 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Krilogy Financial LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 15.6% in the first quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC now owns 4,207 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $952,000 after buying an additional 567 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.77% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on MPC. Zacks Research raised Marathon Petroleum from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Wall Street Zen cut Marathon Petroleum from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 11th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $263.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $230.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $221.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. 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, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $237.50.

More Marathon Petroleum News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Marathon and its MLP MPLX arranged new multi‑billion dollar unsecured revolving credit facilities that extend committed liquidity to 2031, reducing near‑term refinancing risk and supporting cash flow flexibility. Marathon Petroleum Extends Liquidity To 2031 With New Credit Lines
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst price‑target raise to $279 and a cluster of bullish targets/overweight ratings in recent months signal continued analyst confidence in MPC’s cash generation and long‑term outlook. Marathon Petroleum NYSE: MPC Price Target Raised to $279.00
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are reassessing MPC’s valuation after strong recent returns (roughly +29% over 3 months); that momentum has pushed attention on whether current price already reflects near‑term margin risk. Assessing Marathon Petroleum (MPC) Valuation After Recent Share Price Momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage highlighting MPC as a long‑term value/income idea underscores the company’s dividend and cashflow narrative, but these thematic pieces are less likely to move the stock near term versus operational and macro inputs. Why Marathon Petroleum (MPC) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term
• Negative Sentiment: Sector‑wide pullback in refining stocks is pressuring MPC as gasoline futures have softened and investors trim exposure to narrowing product cracks; this is a primary contributor to today’s decline. Marathon Petroleum (MPC) slides 4.9% as refining stocks pull back amid shifting fuel-price and operations outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Operational volatility: scheduled maintenance at the Robinson, IL refinery (mid‑March start; some units offline into mid‑May) plus a recent FCCU upset at the Galveston Bay refinery can dent near‑term throughput and margin capture. The same QuiverQuant piece also flags insider selling and large institutional position reductions, which can heighten downward pressure. Marathon Petroleum (MPC) slides 4.9% as refining stocks pull back amid shifting fuel-price and operations outlook

Marathon Petroleum Price Performance

Shares of MPC traded down $12.87 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $213.37. The stock had a trading volume of 3,798,961 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,445,885. Marathon Petroleum has a 52 week low of $124.00 and a 52 week high of $255.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.26 and a quick ratio of 0.74. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $221.31 and its 200-day moving average price is $197.00. The company has a market capitalization of $62.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.98, a P/E/G ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 0.58.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The oil and gas company reported $4.07 EPS 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 company had revenue of $32.57 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $30.89 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.77 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Marathon Petroleum will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th were given a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 18th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Marathon Petroleum's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.96%.

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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