Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) Stock Price Down 1.8% – Should You Sell?

Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC)’s share price was down 1.8% during trading on Thursday. The company traded as low as $469.07 and last traded at $476.3890. Approximately 2,064,371 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 17% from the average session volume of 2,482,019 shares. The stock had previously closed at $484.92.

Key Stories Impacting Marathon Petroleum

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo issued a Buy rating on MPC, adding to bullish sentiment around the refiner’s earnings outlook. Wells Fargo Issues a Buy Rating on Marathon Petroleum
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its MPC price target to $488, while Citigroup lifted its target from $318 to $518. The higher targets reflect improved assumptions for refining margins and earnings potential, although Citi retained a Neutral rating. Barclays Raises Marathon Petroleum Stock Target
• Positive Sentiment: Recent research characterizes MPC as a relatively lower-volatility energy stock and a potential hedge against diesel-market weakness. Elevated oil prices, geopolitical uncertainty and stronger refining margins are supporting investor interest. Marathon Petroleum: A Solid Hedge Versus Diesel’s Damage
• Neutral Sentiment: A comparison with Delek US suggests both refiners are benefiting from better margins and stronger earnings, but analysts view Delek as more attractive because of its lower valuation and stronger earnings-estimate revisions. This could limit incremental buying in MPC. Marathon Versus Delek US
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is becoming a concern after MPC’s substantial multi-year advance. Fair-value estimates were raised to roughly $433, but that remains below the recent market level, reinforcing questions about whether future cash flow can justify the share price. Can Marathon Petroleum Still Justify Its Price on Cash Flow?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MPC has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $265.00 to $453.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Citigroup boosted their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $318.00 to $518.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday. Mizuho increased their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $304.00 to $457.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Zacks Research upgraded Marathon Petroleum from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, September 4th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $357.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Marathon Petroleum currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $417.88.

Marathon Petroleum Trading Down 1.8%

The business’s fifty day moving average is $390.48 and its 200-day moving average is $306.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $139.08 billion, a PE ratio of 16.38, a P/E/G ratio of 0.15 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The oil and gas company reported $17.73 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $14.27 by $3.46. The firm had revenue of $51.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $40.87 billion. Marathon Petroleum had a net margin of 5.48% and a return on equity of 31.96%. Marathon Petroleum’s revenue for the quarter was up 53.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.96 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 61.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 19th were issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 19th. Marathon Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio is presently 13.75%.

Insider Transactions at Marathon Petroleum

In related news, VP Erin M. Brzezinski sold 570 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $362.79, for a total value of $206,790.30. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 1,576 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $571,757.04. This trade represents a 26.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Molly Benson sold 17,196 shares of Marathon Petroleum stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $358.57, for a total value of $6,165,969.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 30,334 shares in the company, valued at $10,876,862.38. The trade was a 36.18% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 21,691 shares of company stock worth $7,780,127 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marathon Petroleum

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MPC. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 206.1% in the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 206,879 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $81,804,000 after acquiring an additional 139,286 shares in the last quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 3rd quarter valued at $494,000. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC now owns 1,509 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $597,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors boosted its position in Marathon Petroleum by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors now owns 3,719 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,471,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the period. Finally, KG Capital Management acquired a new stake in Marathon Petroleum in the 3rd quarter valued at $437,000. 76.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marathon Petroleum Company Profile

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, jet fuel, asphalt, propane and other refined products used by consumers, businesses and industrial customers.

Marathon Petroleum operates refineries and related logistics assets in the United States, with a refining and marketing presence serving markets across the Midwest, Gulf Coast and West Coast.