Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC Shares Newly Acquired by Ninety One UK Ltd

Ninety One UK Ltd bought a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 1,250 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $494,000.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 4.1% in 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 during the last quarter. C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors increased its stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 2.1% in the third 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 acquiring an additional 75 shares during the period. KG Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the third quarter worth $437,000. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH raised its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 7.2% during the third quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 2,708 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,071,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Finally, VMS Asset Management Limited purchased a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the third quarter worth $1,395,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.77% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marathon Petroleum news, SVP Shawn M. Lyon sold 1,000 shares of Marathon Petroleum stock in a transaction on Monday, August 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $375.75, for a total value of $375,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 11,194 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,206,145.50. The trade was a 8.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Molly R. 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 transaction of $6,165,969.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 30,334 shares of the company’s stock, 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. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 21,691 shares of company stock valued at $7,780,127. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Marathon Petroleum Trading Down 1.8%

Marathon Petroleum stock opened at $476.39 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a 12 month low of $161.93 and a 12 month high of $485.22. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $394.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $307.75. The firm has a market cap of $139.08 billion, a PE ratio of 16.38, a P/E/G ratio of 0.14 and a beta of 0.54.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The oil and gas company reported $17.73 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $14.27 by $3.46. The business had revenue of $51.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $40.87 billion. Marathon Petroleum had a net margin of 5.48% and a return on equity of 31.96%. The business’s revenue was up 53.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.96 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 62.78 earnings per share for the current year.

Marathon Petroleum Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on MPC shares. Evercore set a $330.00 target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $265.00 to $453.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, September 14th. UBS Group set a $510.00 price target on Marathon Petroleum in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Zacks Research upgraded Marathon Petroleum from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, September 4th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $318.00 to $518.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $417.88.

Marathon Petroleum News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo initiated or reiterated a Buy rating on Marathon Petroleum, adding to positive analyst sentiment toward the refiner. Wells Fargo Issues a Buy Rating on Marathon Petroleum
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target to $488, while other recent research lifted Marathon Petroleum’s estimated fair value as analysts updated their assumptions for refining margins and crack spreads. Barclays raises Marathon Petroleum stock target
• Positive Sentiment: Improving refining margins have supported stronger earnings expectations for MPC and peers. Marathon Petroleum is also being viewed as a relatively lower-volatility energy stock and a potential hedge against diesel-market weakness and broader geopolitical volatility. Marathon Petroleum: A Solid Hedge Vs. Diesel’s Damage
• Neutral Sentiment: In a comparison with Delek US, both refiners were described as benefiting from stronger earnings and better margins. However, Delek’s lower valuation and more favorable earnings-estimate revisions gave it the edge, potentially limiting incremental buying interest in MPC. Marathon vs. Delek US
• Negative Sentiment: Recent analysis questioned whether MPC’s share price is fully supported by future cash-flow generation after the stock’s roughly sevenfold five-year gain. The shares have also approached a new 12-month high, increasing the risk of profit-taking and valuation-driven selling. Can Marathon Petroleum Still Justify Its Price on Cash Flow?
• Negative Sentiment: One updated fair-value estimate of approximately $433.44 remains below the recent trading level, reinforcing concerns that much of the improved refining outlook may already be reflected in MPC’s valuation. Marathon Petroleum Fair Value Boost

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.