Vestor Capital LLC Acquires 2,143 Shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC

Vestor Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) by 262.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,958 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,143 shares during the quarter. Vestor Capital LLC’s holdings in Marathon Petroleum were worth $722,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 31.0% during the 1st quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 213,545 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $52,146,000 after buying an additional 50,521 shares in the last quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky grew its holdings in Marathon Petroleum by 570.7% during the first quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 168,644 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $41,180,000 after acquiring an additional 143,500 shares during the period. North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new position in Marathon Petroleum during the fourth quarter worth $1,714,000. KBC Group NV raised its position in Marathon Petroleum by 22.4% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 225,837 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $36,728,000 after acquiring an additional 41,259 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ABC Arbitrage SA acquired a new stake in Marathon Petroleum in the fourth quarter valued at $4,977,000. Institutional investors own 76.77% of the company’s stock.

More Marathon Petroleum News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong refining margins support earnings outlook: Record crack spreads and tight fuel markets—partly linked to Iran-related supply disruptions—are improving profitability expectations for large refiners such as MPC. Record Crack Spreads and Tight Fuel Markets Might Change The Case For Investing In Marathon Petroleum
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly dividend maintained: MPC declared a $1.00-per-share dividend payable September 10 to shareholders of record on August 19. The annualized payout is $4.00 per share and represents a yield of approximately 1.3%, reinforcing the company’s capital-return appeal. Marathon Petroleum Corp. Announces Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Peer results provide a favorable read-through: PBF Energy reported second-quarter earnings and revenue well above analysts’ expectations, suggesting that strong refining conditions may also benefit MPC’s upcoming results. PBF Energy Q2 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on key Q2 metrics: Analysts are examining expected refining throughput, segment results and other operating measures ahead of MPC’s August 4 report. The estimates could increase volatility because the stock has already posted substantial gains. Ahead of Marathon Petroleum Q2 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Environmental recognition: Wildlife Habitat Council certifications highlighting conservation efforts at MPLX facilities strengthen MPC’s corporate-responsibility profile, but are unlikely to materially affect near-term valuation. WHC Certifications Reflect Marathon Petroleum’s Commitment to Environmental Stewardship

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MPC has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Scotiabank boosted their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $174.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $235.00 to $257.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Marathon Petroleum from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $257.00 to $303.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $321.00 price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $298.69.

Marathon Petroleum Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of MPC stock opened at $314.18 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $91.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.51, a P/E/G ratio of 0.20 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $158.00 and a fifty-two week high of $326.92. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $272.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $236.86.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The oil and gas company reported $1.65 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.91. Marathon Petroleum had a net margin of 3.36% and a return on equity of 16.22%. The business had revenue of $34.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $33.42 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.24) EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 43.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 19th will be given a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 19th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Marathon Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.11%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marathon Petroleum

In other news, VP Michael A. Henschen II sold 6,336 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.82, for a total transaction of $1,703,243.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 16,900 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,543,058. This trade represents a 27.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Marathon Petroleum 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.