Secure Asset Management LLC Decreases Position in Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC

Secure Asset Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) by 61.9% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 869 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 1,414 shares during the period. Secure Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Marathon Petroleum were worth $222,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Solstein Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the second quarter worth $26,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the second quarter worth $26,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc purchased a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the second quarter worth $27,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new stake in Marathon Petroleum in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Berbice Capital Management LLC grew its position in Marathon Petroleum by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. Berbice Capital Management LLC now owns 200 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.77% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Marathon Petroleum

In other news, SVP Shawn M. Lyon sold 1,000 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 11,194 shares in the company, valued at $4,206,145.50. This represents a 8.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Molly R. Benson sold 17,196 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the insider owned 30,334 shares in the company, valued at $10,876,862.38. The trade was a 36.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 21,691 shares of company stock valued at $7,780,127 over the last 90 days. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MPC has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Raymond James Financial upped their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $300.00 to $335.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Evercore set a $330.00 price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Marathon Petroleum from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Marathon Petroleum from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, May 10th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $321.00 price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a report on Friday, July 10th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $315.06.

Key Stories Impacting Marathon Petroleum

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

• Positive Sentiment: Refining peers’ results and analyst optimism boosted the sector. MPC gained as strong earnings from other refiners reinforced expectations for healthy fuel demand and profitability. Analysts also remain broadly constructive on the refining outlook, helping support investor sentiment. Why Marathon Petroleum Is Up After Refining Peers’ Earnings Strength and Analyst Optimism
• Positive Sentiment: A potential global fuel squeeze could benefit refiners. Goldman Sachs sees a major shift in oil markets, with tightening fuel supplies potentially creating another refining windfall. Geopolitical risks and disruptions near key shipping routes could further support product prices and refining margins, although these benefits may be cyclical. Goldman Sachs Sees Major Shift Coming for Oil Markets
• Positive Sentiment: Marathon’s latest financial performance remains a fundamental support. The company’s most recent quarter produced earnings per share of $17.73, well above the $14.27 consensus estimate, while revenue increased 53.5% year over year. MPC also maintains a quarterly dividend of $1.00 per share, with a reported payout ratio of 13.75%.
• Neutral Sentiment: Long-term returns highlight MPC’s investment appeal but are not a new operating catalyst. A review of a hypothetical investment made a decade ago emphasizes the potential rewards of holding successful energy stocks over long periods. If You Invested $1000 in Marathon Petroleum a Decade Ago
• Negative Sentiment: Several insiders sold shares near record levels. SVP Shawn Lyon sold 1,425 shares in two transactions for approximately $532,000, while VP and Controller Erin Brzezinski sold 570 shares for about $207,000. The sales reduced their holdings by 8.2% and 26.6%, respectively. The transactions may reflect personal financial decisions, but the cluster of selling could temper enthusiasm. MPC Insider Selling Reports

Marathon Petroleum Stock Up 1.1%

MPC opened at $387.12 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $113.02 billion, a PE ratio of 13.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.25 and a beta of 0.53. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a twelve month low of $161.93 and a twelve month high of $391.98. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $316.89 and a 200 day moving average price of $264.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The oil and gas company reported $17.73 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 company had revenue of $51.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $40.87 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.96 EPS. Marathon Petroleum’s quarterly revenue was up 53.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 46.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 19th will be paid a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 19th. Marathon Petroleum’s payout ratio is 13.75%.

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.