4,928 Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC Shares Sold by Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc.

Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc. lowered its position in Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) by 20.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 19,515 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 4,928 shares during the quarter. Marathon Petroleum comprises 2.1% of Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest holding. Comprehensive Financial Consultants Institutional Inc.’s holdings in Marathon Petroleum were worth $7,717,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in Marathon Petroleum during the second quarter valued at about $6,648,958,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Marathon Petroleum during the second quarter worth about $1,029,611,000. Bank of America Corp DE boosted 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 purchasing an additional 40,124 shares during the period. Amundi increased its stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 17.5% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 2,237,930 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $572,172,000 after purchasing an additional 332,551 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 16.7% in 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 purchasing an additional 215,686 shares in the last quarter. 76.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MPC has been the topic of several research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $376.00 to $472.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $265.00 to $453.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. UBS Group set a $510.00 price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $344.00 to $462.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 3rd. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their target price 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. One equities research 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 data from MarketBeat.com, Marathon Petroleum has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $417.88.

Insider Activity at Marathon Petroleum

In related news, VP Erin M. Brzezinski sold 570 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $362.79, for a total transaction of $206,790.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 1,576 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $571,757.04. The trade was a 26.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Molly Benson sold 17,196 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $358.57, for a total transaction of $6,165,969.72. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 30,334 shares in the company, valued at $10,876,862.38. This trade represents a 36.18% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 21,691 shares of company stock valued at $7,780,127. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

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

Marathon Petroleum Stock Performance

Shares of MPC opened at $476.39 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $394.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $307.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $139.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.14 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 Corporation has a 52-week low of $161.93 and a 52-week high of $485.22.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The oil and gas company reported $17.73 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 in the prior year, the business posted $3.96 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 53.5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 62.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum Dividend Announcement

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 dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, August 19th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Marathon Petroleum’s payout ratio is currently 13.75%.

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.