Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC Stock Holdings Decreased by White Pine Investment CO

White Pine Investment CO cut its stake in Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 41,382 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 3,228 shares during the period. Marathon Petroleum accounts for 3.2% of White Pine Investment CO’s holdings, making the stock its 6th biggest holding. White Pine Investment CO’s holdings in Marathon Petroleum were worth $16,363,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Solstein Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Caitlin John LLC bought a new stake in Marathon Petroleum during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Cetera Trust Company N.A acquired a new stake in Marathon Petroleum in the second quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 2nd quarter valued at about $36,000. 76.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MPC has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group set a $510.00 target price on Marathon Petroleum in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $318.00 to $518.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Marathon Petroleum from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 4th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $410.00 to $426.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $376.00 to $472.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 21st. One 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 data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target 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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Marathon Petroleum news, SVP Shawn M. Lyon sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $375.75, for a total value of $375,750.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 11,194 shares in the company, valued at $4,206,145.50. The trade was a 8.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Erin M. Brzezinski sold 570 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the vice president directly owned 1,576 shares in the company, valued at approximately $571,757.04. The trade was a 26.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 21,691 shares of company stock worth $7,780,127. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Marathon Petroleum Stock Down 1.8%

Marathon Petroleum stock opened at $476.39 on Friday. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a twelve month low of $161.93 and a twelve month 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. 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. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $394.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $307.75.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The oil and gas company reported $17.73 earnings per share (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 quarter last year, the business posted $3.96 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 53.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 62.78 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 issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 19th. Marathon Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.75%.

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.