Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) has earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the nineteen ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $241.8125.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MPC. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $213.00 to $217.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $210.00 to $243.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Marathon Petroleum from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Sunday, April 19th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $221.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $198.00 to $299.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 1st.

Key Stories Impacting Marathon Petroleum

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

• Positive Sentiment: U.S. inventory data showed large weekly draws in gasoline and distillates and a drop in crude, tightening supply and pushing spot fuel prices higher—an outcome that typically improves crack spreads and the near-term margin outlook for large refiners like MPC. Marathon Petroleum jumps 5% as big gasoline draw tightens supplies and boosts refining-margin outlook
• Positive Sentiment: The board declared a quarterly dividend of $1.00 per share (payable June 10; record date May 20), reinforcing MPC’s cash-return profile—a support for income-focused and total-return investors. Marathon Petroleum Corp. Announces Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other stock screens have recently flagged MPC as a momentum/strong-buy candidate and included it on lists of undervalued PEG stocks, which can attract flows from momentum and value-rotation investors. This attention helps liquidity and can amplify moves ahead of earnings. 3 Undervalued PEG Stocks With Double-Digit Growth to Buy Now
• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank has raised its multi-year EPS forecasts for MPC, signaling that some sell‑side analysts are modeling stronger earnings power—supportive for expectations heading into the next report. MarketBeat MPC page (Scotiabank estimate note)
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation-focused writeups are debating whether the recent share run already reflects intrinsic value (DCF) or leaves a gap—useful for longer-term investors but less likely to move price immediately than near-term fundamentals or cash returns. Is Marathon Petroleum (MPC) Pricing Reflect Recent Share Surge And DCF-Based Value Gap
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings (MPC reports in early May) remain the primary near-term catalyst—market positioning and analyst estimates mean the report could cause volatility in either direction. Marathon Petroleum (MPC) Earnings Expected to Grow: Should You Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: QuiverQuant flags recent insider selling (six open‑market sales, zero purchases) and large institutional position changes noted in filings—signals investors watch as potential selling pressure or distribution by big holders. That activity can cap upside if it accelerates. Marathon Petroleum jumps 5% as big gasoline draw tightens supplies and boosts refining-margin outlook (insider/institutional notes)

Insider Activity at Marathon Petroleum

In other news, insider Ricky D. Hessling sold 1,810 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.78, for a total value of $406,851.80. Following the transaction, the insider owned 10,188 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,290,058.64. This represents a 15.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 4,473 shares of company stock valued at $1,015,428. 0.17% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marathon Petroleum

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Childress Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the 1st quarter worth $242,000. Marino Stram & Associates LLC increased its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Marino Stram & Associates LLC now owns 11,633 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $2,840,000 after buying an additional 208 shares during the last quarter. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. bought a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the 1st quarter worth $85,000. Geneva Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the 1st quarter worth $5,425,000. Finally, Addison Capital Co bought a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the 1st quarter worth $289,000. Institutional investors own 76.77% of the company’s stock.

Marathon Petroleum Stock Performance

Marathon Petroleum stock opened at $241.75 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $224.95 and its 200 day simple moving average is $199.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $71.19 billion, a PE ratio of 18.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 0.58. Marathon Petroleum has a 1-year low of $133.00 and a 1-year high of $255.77.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The oil and gas company reported $4.07 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.73 by $0.34. The business had revenue of $32.57 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $30.89 billion. Marathon Petroleum had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 13.90%. Marathon Petroleum’s revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.77 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Marathon Petroleum will post 25.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 20th will be issued a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 20th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Marathon Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.96%.

About Marathon Petroleum

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.