Mizuho Issues Positive Forecast for Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) Stock Price

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) had its price target lifted by investment analysts at Mizuho from $284.00 to $304.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the oil and gas company’s stock. Mizuho’s target price would indicate a potential downside of 4.64% from the stock’s current price.

Several other analysts also recently commented on MPC. Wall Street Zen raised Marathon Petroleum from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, May 10th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Marathon Petroleum from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $321.00 target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $343.00 to $344.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $357.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $312.50.

Marathon Petroleum Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MPC opened at $318.79 on Tuesday. Marathon Petroleum has a twelve month low of $158.00 and a twelve month high of $326.92. The business has a fifty day moving average of $280.59 and a 200-day moving average of $243.30. The firm has a market cap of $93.07 billion, a PE ratio of 10.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 0.52. 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 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 analysts’ expectations of $40.87 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.96 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 53.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Marathon Petroleum will post 46.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Marathon Petroleum

In other news, VP Michael A. Henschen II sold 6,336 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.82, for a total value of $1,703,243.52. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 16,900 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,543,058. This represents a 27.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marathon Petroleum

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bell Investment Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in Marathon Petroleum during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Berbice Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 100.0% in the 4th quarter. Berbice Capital Management LLC now owns 200 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new position in Marathon Petroleum in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. 76.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Marathon Petroleum News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong second-quarter earnings: MPC reported adjusted earnings of $17.73 per share, well above the $14.52 consensus estimate and up sharply from $3.96 a year earlier. The improvement was driven primarily by significantly stronger Refining & Marketing performance and higher refining margins. Marathon Petroleum Q2 Earnings Beat on Strong Refining Margins
• Positive Sentiment: Refining and midstream momentum: Analysts say MPC’s recent rally has fundamental support from stronger refining economics, disciplined operations and rising cash flow from its midstream business. The company expects third-quarter crude throughput of approximately 2.82 million barrels per day and total refinery throughput of about 3.005 million barrels per day, signaling continued high utilization. MPC Jumps 18.1% in 3 Months as Refining Strength Builds Momentum
• Positive Sentiment: Above-average financial growth: Growth-focused coverage argues that Marathon Petroleum’s financial performance is positioned to outperform the broader market, adding to the positive investor narrative following its earnings beat. 3 Reasons Growth Investors Will Love Marathon Petroleum
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive Wall Street views, with limitations: MPC’s average brokerage recommendation supports adding the stock to a portfolio, but the article notes that sell-side ratings can be biased and are not necessarily a reliable standalone buy signal. Should You Invest in Marathon Petroleum Based on Bullish Wall Street Views?

Marathon Petroleum Company Profile

Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: MPC) is a U.S.-based downstream energy company engaged principally in the refining, marketing, supply and transportation of petroleum products. The company was formed through a spin-off from Marathon Oil in 2011 and operates an integrated system of refining and logistics assets that support the production and distribution of transportation fuels and other refined petroleum products.

Marathon Petroleum’s operations include refining crude oil into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt and other specialty products, as well as managing the distribution and storage infrastructure needed to move those products to market.