Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) Price Target Raised to $488.00

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) had its target price boosted by Barclays from $321.00 to $488.00 in a report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the oil and gas company’s stock.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $376.00 to $472.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Zacks Research upgraded Marathon Petroleum from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 4th. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Evercore set a $330.00 price target on Marathon Petroleum in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and set a $433.00 price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a report on Sunday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marathon Petroleum has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $417.88.

Marathon Petroleum Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MPC opened at $484.44 on Monday. Marathon Petroleum has a one year low of $161.93 and a one year high of $485.22. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $390.48 and a 200-day moving average of $306.16. The company has a market capitalization of $141.43 billion, a PE ratio of 18.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.15 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 1.25.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The oil and gas company reported $17.73 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $14.27 by $3.46. The business had revenue of $51.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $40.87 billion. Marathon Petroleum had a return on equity of 31.96% and a net margin of 5.48%. The company’s revenue was up 53.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.96 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Marathon Petroleum will post 61.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 19th were paid a $1.00 dividend. 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 (DPR) is currently 13.75%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Shawn M. Lyon sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.00, for a total value of $875,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 12,619 shares in the company, valued at $4,416,650. This represents a 16.54% 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. Also, insider Molly R. Benson sold 17,196 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $358.57, for a total value of $6,165,969.72. Following the completion of the sale, the insider 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. In the last three months, insiders have sold 21,691 shares of company stock worth $7,780,127. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Focus Financial Network Inc. lifted its holdings in Marathon Petroleum by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Focus Financial Network Inc. now owns 1,066 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $422,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Marathon Petroleum by 1.0% during the third quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,130 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $842,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. Capstone Financial Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Marathon Petroleum by 1.8% during the second quarter. Capstone Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 1,938 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $495,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Eastern Bank raised its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 2.1% in the third quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 1,936 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $766,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 3.2% in the second quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,288 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $329,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. 76.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Marathon Petroleum News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target to $488, indicating continued confidence in Marathon Petroleum’s outlook and leaving modest implied upside from recent levels. Barclays raises Marathon Petroleum stock target to USD 488.00
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup lifted its target sharply to $518 from $318. Although Citi maintained a neutral rating, the higher valuation reflects improved expectations for the refiner’s earnings and cash generation. Marathon Petroleum stock 10-month winning streak
• Positive Sentiment: MPC is being highlighted alongside BP, PBF and Valero as a relatively low-beta energy stock that may provide resilience amid elevated oil prices, Middle East tensions and broader market volatility. Stay Ahead of Market Swings With BP, PBF, VLO & MPC
• Positive Sentiment: Technical momentum remains strong: the stock is approaching a potential 10-month winning streak, a pattern last seen in 2013, while the refining ETF CRAK has posted substantial gains this year. Marathon Petroleum stock 10-month winning streak
• Neutral Sentiment: DBS reiterated a Hold rating, suggesting the firm sees balanced upside and downside after MPC’s substantial rally. DBS Keeps Their Hold Rating on Marathon Petroleum
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are questioning whether MPC’s share price still reflects reasonable intrinsic value based on future cash flow after an approximately sevenfold five-year return. This raises the risk that valuation, rather than fundamentals, could weigh on the stock. Can Marathon Petroleum Still Justify Its Price On Cash Flow?

About Marathon Petroleum

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.