Wall Street Zen Upgrades Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) to Strong-Buy

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Marathon Petroleum (MPC) from a "buy" to a "strong-buy" in its latest research note.
• Several firms have raised price targets (e.g., Raymond James to $270, BMO to $255, Goldman to $264), leaving an average target of $237.50 and an aggregate rating of "Moderate Buy" (2 Strong Buy, 9 Buy, 8 Hold).
• Marathon beat quarterly EPS estimates ($4.07 vs. $3.73) but shares fell ~5.7% as a sector pullback, operational risks (Robinson maintenance, Galveston Bay FCCU upset) and recent insider selling weigh on near‑term outlook.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note issued on Sunday.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $205.00 to $224.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Raymond James Financial increased 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. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $213.00 to $217.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $230.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $239.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $237.50.

Marathon Petroleum Trading Down 5.7%

Shares of Marathon Petroleum stock opened at $213.37 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $62.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.98, a PEG ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $221.31 and a 200-day simple moving average of $197.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27. Marathon Petroleum has a 12-month low of $124.00 and a 12-month high of $255.77.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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. The firm had revenue of $32.57 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $30.89 billion. Marathon Petroleum had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 13.90%. Marathon Petroleum's quarterly revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.77 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Marathon Petroleum will post 8.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Ricky D. Hessling sold 1,810 shares of the 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 $2,290,058.64. This trade represents a 15.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 4,473 shares of company stock valued at $1,015,428. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marathon Petroleum

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Cidel Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 14.9% in the 1st quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 9,835 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $2,402,000 after purchasing 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 1st quarter. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 2,911 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $711,000 after purchasing an additional 405 shares in the last quarter. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. purchased a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the 1st quarter valued at about $224,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 33.3% in the 1st quarter. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. now owns 224 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing 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 1st quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC now owns 4,207 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $952,000 after purchasing an additional 567 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.77% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Marathon Petroleum

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

About Marathon Petroleum

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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