Westwind Capital Buys 14,656 Shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC

Westwind Capital purchased a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 14,656 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,795,000. Marathon Petroleum makes up 1.4% of Westwind Capital’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the second quarter worth about $6,648,958,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in Marathon Petroleum during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,029,611,000. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in Marathon Petroleum by 1.6% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 2,595,084 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $633,668,000 after buying an additional 40,124 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its stake in Marathon Petroleum by 17.5% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 2,237,930 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $572,172,000 after buying an additional 332,551 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 16.7% during the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,508,489 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $385,675,000 after acquiring an additional 215,686 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.77% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently commented on MPC shares. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $289.00 to $321.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Evercore set a $330.00 target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $265.00 to $453.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $413.00 price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Marathon Petroleum from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Marathon Petroleum currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $379.94.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marathon Petroleum

In related news, insider Molly R. Benson sold 17,196 shares of Marathon Petroleum stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $358.57, for a total value of $6,165,969.72. Following the transaction, the insider owned 30,334 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,876,862.38. This trade represents a 36.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Erin M. Brzezinski sold 570 shares of Marathon Petroleum stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $362.79, for a total value of $206,790.30. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 21,691 shares of company stock worth $7,780,127 in the last 90 days. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Marathon Petroleum Price Performance

Shares of MPC stock traded up $21.30 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $463.56. The stock had a trading volume of 2,750,091 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,500,558. The company has a market cap of $135.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.13 and a beta of 0.54. 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 $467.85. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $377.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $299.77.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last issued 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $40.87 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.96 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 53.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 61.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

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 dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 19th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. Marathon Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio is 13.75%.

More Marathon Petroleum News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Refining-margin tailwinds remain the primary catalyst. Rising gasoline and diesel crack spreads, along with below-normal distillate inventories—particularly on the U.S. East Coast—are supporting expectations for stronger near-term refining earnings. MPC’s large refining footprint gives it significant sensitivity to higher margins. Marathon Petroleum gains as refining-margin tailwinds stay strong
• Positive Sentiment: Buyback capacity adds support. Marathon Petroleum reportedly had approximately $6.1 billion remaining under its share-repurchase authorization at the end of the second quarter. Strong operating cash flow could allow the company to return significant capital to shareholders if refining conditions persist.
• Positive Sentiment: Operational and strategic improvements are reinforcing the bullish view. Recent coverage highlights throughput near 3 million barrels per day, projects aimed at increasing jet-fuel and specialty-gasoline production, and benefits from MPC’s integrated refining and midstream network. These initiatives could help the company capture more value during periods of tight global refining capacity. Can Marathon Petroleum Turn High-Utilization Refining Wins Into a Durable Competitive Edge?
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target substantially, but kept a neutral rating. The target increased from $304 to $457, roughly in line with the recently cited market price, suggesting that much of the favorable refining outlook may already be reflected in MPC shares.
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional positioning is mixed. Several major investors, including JPMorgan, BlackRock and Sixth Street Partners, added shares, while Harris Associates, Wellington Management and Boston Partners reduced positions. Government awards, including naval distillate contracts, provide business activity but are not the main stock catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider and congressional selling could temper sentiment. MPC insiders reported no open-market purchases and 10 sales over the past six months, while members of Congress also reported selling. These transactions do not necessarily reflect company fundamentals, but they offer a potential cautionary signal after the stock’s strong run.

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.