Kesler Norman & Wride LLC Purchases New Holdings in Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC

Kesler Norman & Wride LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor bought 4,815 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $783,000.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MPC. Boston Partners lifted its position in Marathon Petroleum by 2.3% during the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 6,305,428 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,214,522,000 after purchasing an additional 141,691 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in Marathon Petroleum in the 4th quarter valued at about $472,312,000. Legal & General Group Plc raised its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 1,861,020 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $358,693,000 after buying an additional 35,847 shares in the last quarter. Amundi lifted its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 11.8% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 1,626,862 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $314,830,000 after acquiring an additional 172,172 shares during the period. Finally, National Pension Service boosted its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. National Pension Service now owns 885,426 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $143,997,000 after acquiring an additional 36,158 shares in the last quarter. 76.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Zacks Research raised Marathon Petroleum from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. UBS Group set a $285.00 price target on Marathon Petroleum in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Barclays raised their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $243.00 to $257.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $224.00 to $260.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $268.50.

Marathon Petroleum Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of MPC opened at $267.33 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $242.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $209.17. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a 12 month low of $155.93 and a 12 month high of $272.46. The company has a market capitalization of $78.04 billion, a PE ratio of 17.45, a PEG ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The oil and gas company reported $1.65 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.91. The company had revenue of $34.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $33.42 billion. Marathon Petroleum had a return on equity of 16.22% and a net margin of 3.36%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.24) earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 30.05 EPS for the current year.

Marathon Petroleum Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 20th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. Marathon Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.11%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Ricky D. Hessling sold 1,810 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.78, for a total value of $406,851.80. Following the transaction, the insider owned 10,188 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,290,058.64. The trade was a 15.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 4,473 shares of company stock valued at $1,015,428. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Marathon Petroleum News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: MPC was highlighted in a Zacks “Strong Buy” growth stock list, which can attract momentum and growth-oriented buyers. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for June 3rd
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary are focusing on Marathon’s West Coast refining assets as California fuel supply remains tight, suggesting a potential earnings tailwind if regional crack spreads stay strong. Can MPC’s West Coast Assets Become a Bigger Earnings Driver?
• Positive Sentiment: Broader energy-market strength is supporting refiners like MPC, as crude prices rebound and refined-product markets tighten amid renewed Middle East supply concerns, which can improve refining margins. Marathon Petroleum’s Top Safety Performance Recognized at AFPM Safety Awards
• Neutral Sentiment: Marathon Petroleum was recognized for top safety performance at AFPM awards, a positive operating headline but not an immediate earnings catalyst. Marathon Petroleum’s Top Safety Performance Recognized at AFPM Safety Awards
• Neutral Sentiment: The stock has already had a strong multi-month run, so some investors may be weighing valuation after sizable gains even as fundamentals remain supportive. Marathon Petroleum (MPC) Valuation Check After Strong Multi‑Month Share Price Gains

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.