PensionDanmark Pensionsforsikringsaktieselskab Grows Position in Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC

PensionDanmark Pensionsforsikringsaktieselskab raised its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) by 10.4% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 81,934 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after buying an additional 7,699 shares during the quarter. PensionDanmark Pensionsforsikringsaktieselskab’s holdings in Marathon Petroleum were worth $20,948,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA lifted its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 31.0% during the first quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 213,545 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $52,146,000 after purchasing an additional 50,521 shares during the last quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky lifted its stake in Marathon Petroleum by 570.7% in the first quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 168,644 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $41,180,000 after buying an additional 143,500 shares during the last quarter. North Dakota State Investment Board bought a new stake in Marathon Petroleum in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,714,000. KBC Group NV raised its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 22.4% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 225,837 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $36,728,000 after buying an additional 41,259 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ABC Arbitrage SA bought a new stake in Marathon Petroleum during the 4th quarter valued at $4,977,000. 76.77% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Marathon Petroleum

In other news, VP Michael A. Henschen II sold 6,336 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.82, for a total value of $1,703,243.52. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 16,900 shares in the company, valued at $4,543,058. This represents a 27.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MPC has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $303.00 to $318.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $224.00 to $260.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $289.00 to $321.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Marathon Petroleum from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, May 10th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $311.25.

Marathon Petroleum Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of Marathon Petroleum stock opened at $299.04 on Friday. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a 12-month low of $158.00 and a 12-month high of $326.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $87.30 billion, a PE ratio of 10.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $278.41 and its 200-day moving average is $241.42.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The oil and gas company reported $17.73 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $14.27 by $3.46. Marathon Petroleum had a net margin of 5.48% and a return on equity of 31.96%. The company had revenue of $51.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $40.87 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.96 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 53.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 43.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Marathon Petroleum Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 19th will be paid a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 19th. Marathon Petroleum’s payout ratio is 13.75%.

Trending Headlines about Marathon Petroleum

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

• Positive Sentiment: Exceptional second-quarter earnings: MPC reported adjusted EPS of $17.73, well above estimates of roughly $14, while revenue reached $51.99 billion. Net income more than quadrupled year over year as stronger crack spreads boosted refining profitability. Marathon Petroleum Profit Quadruples on Higher Refining Margins
• Positive Sentiment: Strong operating execution and cash returns: The refining and marketing segment generated $6.66 billion of adjusted EBITDA, with 94% utilization and 112% margin capture. MPC returned approximately $2.5 billion to shareholders through buybacks, alongside dividends, supporting the stock’s appeal. MPC Q2 Earnings Call Highlights Refining Capture and Cash Returns
• Positive Sentiment: Constructive outlook and analyst support: Management indicated that refining conditions could remain strong into 2027. TD Cowen raised its MPC price target to $375 and maintained a Buy rating, while Zacks identified the shares as having strong momentum. TD Cowen Raises Marathon Petroleum Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation remains debated: A cash-flow analysis suggests MPC could be undervalued, but the median target from 12 analysts is $270—below recent trading levels—indicating that expectations have already risen considerably. MPC Stock May Be Undervalued on Cash Flow
• Negative Sentiment: Peak-margin concerns are pressuring sentiment: Investors may view the quarter’s unusually high refining margins as cyclical and potentially unsustainable, particularly after supply disruptions lifted fuel-market margins. Profit-taking could therefore outweigh the earnings beat in the short term. MPC Falls Despite Strong Quarter as Investors Focus on Peak Margin Risks
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling adds a cautionary signal: Reported insider activity included eight sales and no purchases over the past six months, although these transactions do not necessarily indicate management’s outlook.

About Marathon Petroleum

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.