National Pension Service Grows Stock Position in Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC

National Pension Service boosted its stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 928,506 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after buying an additional 5,626 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service’s holdings in Marathon Petroleum were worth $237,391,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its holdings in Marathon Petroleum by 36,834.6% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 128,810,637 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $32,933,016,000 after buying an additional 128,461,884 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the second quarter valued at approximately $6,648,958,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,029,611,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Marathon Petroleum in the fourth quarter worth $472,312,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Marathon Petroleum in the second quarter valued at $621,832,000. Institutional investors own 76.77% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marathon Petroleum

In related news, insider Molly R. Benson sold 17,196 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $358.57, for a total value of $6,165,969.72. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 30,334 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,876,862.38. The trade was a 36.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Erin M. Brzezinski sold 570 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $362.79, for a total value of $206,790.30. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 1,576 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $571,757.04. This represents a 26.56% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 21,691 shares of company stock valued at $7,780,127 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Marathon Petroleum Trading Down 1.7%

Shares of Marathon Petroleum stock opened at $392.61 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $114.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.50, a P/E/G ratio of 0.26 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 1.25. The company has a fifty day moving average of $333.02 and a 200 day moving average of $272.51. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $161.93 and a fifty-two week high of $405.13.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The oil and gas company reported $17.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $14.27 by $3.46. Marathon Petroleum had a net margin of 5.48% and a return on equity of 31.96%. The firm had revenue of $51.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $40.87 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.96 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 53.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 47.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 19th were paid a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 19th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Marathon Petroleum’s payout ratio is presently 13.75%.

Trending Headlines about Marathon Petroleum

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

• Positive Sentiment: Marathon Petroleum’s high-return refinery investments are expected to improve operational flexibility, product yields and cost efficiency. Those projects could strengthen refining margins and earnings resilience over the long term. How High-Return Refinery Investment Strengthens MPC’s Long-Term Margins
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and related market commentary continue to identify MPC as attractive for value and momentum investors, citing its valuation profile, earnings trends and strong share-price performance. This supports the bullish long-term narrative, although the articles do not introduce a new catalyst. Why Marathon Petroleum Is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Escalating U.S.-Iran tensions are increasing energy-market risk and creating a mixed backdrop for refiners. Higher volatility or stronger fuel prices could help MPC, but geopolitical disruptions could also pressure demand and operating conditions. Defense, Solar, and Refining Stocks Split as the Iran Conflict Raises Energy Risk
• Negative Sentiment: MPC underperformed the broader market in the latest session. The report provides no specific earnings warning, analyst downgrade or operational problem, suggesting the weakness may reflect profit-taking or broader market positioning after the stock’s substantial run. Marathon Petroleum Dips More Than Broader Market

Analyst Ratings Changes

MPC has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Marathon Petroleum from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 4th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $233.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $344.00 to $462.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $359.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $357.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $330.50.

About Marathon Petroleum

Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) is an integrated downstream energy company engaged primarily in refining, marketing and transporting petroleum products. The company converts crude oil and other feedstocks into gasoline, diesel and other transportation fuels, as well as asphalt, propane, petrochemical feedstocks and related products.

Marathon Petroleum operates a network of refineries in the United States and markets refined products through wholesale channels, branded retail locations and commercial customers.