Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC Raises Stock Position in Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC

Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) by 7.5% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 22,789 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after buying an additional 1,586 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings in Marathon Petroleum were worth $5,826,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Solstein Capital LLC purchased a new position in Marathon Petroleum in the second quarter valued at $26,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc acquired a new position in Marathon Petroleum in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Berbice Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in 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 valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. 76.77% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marathon Petroleum Price Performance

MPC stock opened at $396.23 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The company has a market capitalization of $115.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.62, a PEG 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 $409.11. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $335.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $273.38.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The oil and gas company reported $17.73 earnings per share (EPS) 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 quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.96 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 53.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 47.23 EPS for the current year.

Marathon Petroleum Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared 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 yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, August 19th. Marathon Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio is currently 13.75%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently commented on MPC. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $359.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Bank of America upped their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $224.00 to $260.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $233.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $335.00 target price on Marathon Petroleum and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, July 12th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $289.00 to $321.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $330.50.

Marathon Petroleum News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Marathon Petroleum’s strong second-quarter results continue to support the stock. The company reported $5.1 billion in attributable net income, or $17.73 per diluted share, versus the $14.27 analyst consensus, along with $8.5 billion in adjusted EBITDA. It also returned $2.8 billion to shareholders, reinforcing its cash-generation and capital-return story. Marathon Petroleum gains as stronger refining backdrop and analyst optimism lift shares
• Positive Sentiment: A recent analyst upgrade to the price target reflects expectations that refining-margin normalization may be slower than previously anticipated. Brokerage commentary and articles describing MPC as a value or potentially attractive long-term investment may also be supporting sentiment. Marathon Petroleum is considered a good investment by brokers
• Positive Sentiment: Recent institutional activity remains substantial, with major investors including JPMorgan, BlackRock and Sixth Street Partners adding MPC shares during the second quarter. Government contract payments, including naval distillate awards, provide a modest additional demand-related positive.
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional positioning is mixed: 850 investors added shares while 892 reduced positions. This suggests continued interest in MPC but also significant profit-taking after its strong run.
• Negative Sentiment: Insiders have reported 11 open-market sales and no purchases over the past six months. Members of Congress also reported sales, which may raise caution about valuation, although these transactions are not necessarily indicative of operating fundamentals.
• Negative Sentiment: The stock’s recent closing decline and its elevated valuation relative to many published targets could limit upside. Quiver Quantitative lists a six-month median analyst target of $270, well below the current trading range, highlighting the risk that refining margins or energy prices normalize.

Insider Transactions at Marathon Petroleum

In other news, VP Erin M. Brzezinski sold 570 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the vice president directly owned 1,576 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $571,757.04. This trade represents a 26.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Molly Benson sold 17,196 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the insider owned 30,334 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,876,862.38. The trade was a 36.18% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, 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 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 and other transportation fuels, as well as asphalt, propane, petrochemical feedstocks and related products.

Marathon Petroleum operates a network of refineries in the United States and markets refined products through wholesale channels, branded retail locations and commercial customers.