VMS Asset Management Limited Buys New Shares in Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC

VMS Asset Management Limited acquired a new stake in Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm acquired 3,527 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,395,000.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 2nd quarter worth about $6,648,958,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in Marathon Petroleum during the second quarter worth approximately $1,029,611,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in Marathon Petroleum during the second quarter worth approximately $621,832,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 2nd quarter valued at $380,745,000. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 3,816.8% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 1,306,749 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $212,517,000 after buying an additional 1,273,386 shares during the period. 76.77% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marathon Petroleum Price Performance

MPC opened at $484.44 on Thursday. The company has a 50-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 P/E ratio of 16.65, a PEG ratio of 0.15 and a beta of 0.54. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a 1-year low of $161.93 and a 1-year high of $485.22. 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 announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The oil and gas company reported $17.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $14.27 by $3.46. Marathon Petroleum had a return on equity of 31.96% and a net margin of 5.48%. The firm had revenue of $51.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $40.87 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.96 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 53.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 61.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 19th were given a $1.00 dividend. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 19th. Marathon Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.75%.

Insider Activity at Marathon Petroleum

In other Marathon Petroleum news, VP Erin M. Brzezinski sold 570 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $362.79, for a total value of $206,790.30. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 1,576 shares in the company, valued at $571,757.04. This represents a 26.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Shawn M. Lyon sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $375.75, for a total value of $375,750.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 11,194 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,206,145.50. This represents a 8.20% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 21,691 shares of company stock worth $7,780,127 in the last three months. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MPC has been the topic of a number of research reports. Mizuho raised their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $304.00 to $457.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Bank of America boosted their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $410.00 to $426.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $376.00 to $472.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 21st. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $357.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $433.00 price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a research report on Sunday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marathon Petroleum has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $417.88.

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?

Marathon Petroleum 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.