SBI Okasan Asset Management Co.Ltd. Makes New $409,000 Investment in Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC

SBI Okasan Asset Management Co.Ltd. bought a new position in Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 2,500 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $409,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MPC. Alberta Investment Management Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,891,000. Diversified Trust Co. grew its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 39.3% during the 4th quarter. Diversified Trust Co. now owns 15,675 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $2,549,000 after buying an additional 4,419 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,004,000. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 4th quarter worth approximately $791,000. Finally, KKM Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 27.6% during the 3rd quarter. KKM Financial LLC now owns 26,202 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $5,050,000 after buying an additional 5,661 shares during the period. 76.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Marathon Petroleum News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Marathon Petroleum was upgraded to Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), signaling stronger earnings expectations and a more favorable near-term outlook. What Makes Marathon Petroleum (MPC) a New Strong Buy Stock
• Positive Sentiment: MPC appeared on Zacks’ momentum, value, and growth stock screens, which reinforces investor interest from multiple angles. Best Momentum Stock to Buy for May 28th
• Positive Sentiment: The stock was also added to Zacks’ “New Strong Buy” and “Best Growth Stocks” lists, which may help sustain bullish sentiment among traders and growth-focused investors. New Strong Buy Stocks for May 28th
• Positive Sentiment: Marathon Petroleum was highlighted in a Zacks energy growth-stock article alongside other names benefiting from supply risks and strong demand, suggesting the sector backdrop remains supportive. 3 Energy Growth Stocks Riding Supply Risks and Strong Demand

Marathon Petroleum Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of NYSE MPC opened at $248.45 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $72.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.22, a P/E/G ratio of 0.40 and a beta of 0.53. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $240.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $207.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 1.18. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a 52-week low of $155.93 and a 52-week high of $264.14.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The oil and gas company reported $1.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.91. The firm had revenue of $34.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $33.42 billion. Marathon Petroleum had a net margin of 3.36% and a return on equity of 16.22%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.24) earnings per share. Analysts expect that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 30.05 EPS for the current year.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 20th will be paid 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 yield of 1.6%. Marathon Petroleum’s payout ratio is presently 26.11%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $243.00 to $257.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $255.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $200.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Marathon Petroleum from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Marathon Petroleum presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $268.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Marathon Petroleum news, insider Ricky D. Hessling sold 1,810 shares of Marathon Petroleum stock in a transaction that occurred 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 approximately $2,290,058.64. The trade was a 15.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders have sold a total of 4,473 shares of company stock valued at $1,015,428 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

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.