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

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on MPC. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $204.00 to $211.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Piper Sandler cut their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $231.00 to $184.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Marathon Petroleum from a “hold (c)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $213.00 to $217.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $221.00 price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $202.50.

Marathon Petroleum Stock Up 1.8%

MPC opened at $221.21 on Friday. Marathon Petroleum has a one year low of $115.10 and a one year high of $228.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 1.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $65.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.69. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $187.19 and its 200-day simple moving average is $186.52.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The oil and gas company reported $4.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 return on equity of 13.90% and a net margin of 2.99%.The business’s revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.77 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Marathon Petroleum will post 8.47 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marathon Petroleum

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MPC. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new position in Marathon Petroleum during the third quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, IAG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Marathon Petroleum during the third quarter worth about $39,000. 76.77% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Marathon Petroleum

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

• Positive Sentiment: Refiner tailwind as crude rallies — multiple pieces note that surging oil (Brent near mid-$80s) and Middle East tensions are lifting expectations for higher refining margins, which benefits large refiners like Marathon. Oil Is Surging and These 3 Energy Stocks Could Double Your Money Before 2027
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/market recognition — Broker consensus remains constructive (consensus “Moderate Buy”) and analysts/public commentators highlight Marathon’s scale, cash flows and recent earnings beat that support the bullish case. Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages
• Positive Sentiment: Company fundamentals and momentum — Recent earnings topped estimates (quarterly EPS beat and robust revenue), strong cash generation, and technical momentum are cited as reasons the stock is in a sustained uptrend. Why One Energy Expert Is Betting on These 3 Oil Stocks Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Trending stock attention — Zacks and Yahoo stories note heightened retail/investor interest and search activity, which can amplify moves but does not itself change fundamentals. Here is What to Know Beyond Why Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector positioning — Articles highlighting refiners/midstream as places to hide or earn yield emphasize diversification across upstream, refining and pipelines; Marathon is featured as a major downstream play but is sensitive to cycle swings. Energy sector coverage referencing Marathon
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and profit‑cycle risk — Several pieces question whether the multi‑year share gains are fully justified and flag that the stock is near its 1‑year high; after a strong rally, upside could be limited if refining margins normalize. Is Marathon Petroleum (MPC) Price Justified After Strong Multi‑Year Share Gains?
• Negative Sentiment: Exposure to volatility and leverage — Marathon benefits from higher crude but remains exposed to swings in oil and refining margins; its debt/equity (~1.27) and modest net margin (~3%) make it sensitive to margin compression and macro shocks. Marathon Petroleum (MPC) Valuation Check After Energy Sector Rally And Strong Investor Optimism

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.