Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) Given New $270.00 Price Target at Raymond James Financial

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) had its price target lifted by Raymond James Financial from $210.00 to $270.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the oil and gas company’s stock.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on MPC. Zacks Research cut Marathon Petroleum from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Marathon Petroleum from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $231.00 to $184.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Barclays dropped their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $202.00 to $194.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $211.00 to $179.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $209.19.

Marathon Petroleum Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NYSE MPC opened at $241.69 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $71.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.69. Marathon Petroleum has a 52 week low of $115.10 and a 52 week high of $247.14. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $202.73 and a 200 day moving average price of $191.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The oil and gas company reported $4.07 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.73 by $0.34. Marathon Petroleum had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 13.90%. The company had revenue of $32.57 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $30.89 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.77 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Marathon Petroleum will post 8.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th were given a $1.00 dividend. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 18th. Marathon Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.96%.

Insider Activity at Marathon Petroleum

In related news, insider Ricky D. Hessling sold 1,626 shares of Marathon Petroleum stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.18, for a total transaction of $371,020.68. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 7,525 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,717,054.50. This trade represents a 17.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders sold a total of 4,473 shares of company stock worth $1,015,428 over the last quarter. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in Marathon Petroleum in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Berbice Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Marathon Petroleum by 100.0% during the fourth 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 period. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new position in Marathon Petroleum during the second quarter worth about $33,000. 76.77% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Marathon Petroleum News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Raymond James raised its price target to $270 and put an “outperform” rating on MPC, calling for further upside and citing the company’s earnings/cash-return profile as justification. Raymond James raises MPC target to $270 (Benzinga)
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage pieces explain Raymond James’ rationale (strong refining margins, superior margin capture and capital returns) and note MPC’s strong YTD performance (~48%) and proximity to its 52-week high — reinforcing momentum trade interest. Why Raymond James Sees Marathon Petroleum Reaching $270 (24/7 Wall St.)
• Positive Sentiment: Market analysis points to improving gasoline and diesel crack spreads and strong 2025 utilization/margin-capture metrics; analysts and algos are treating that as evidence MPC can sustain cash returns even if refining cycles shift — a direct near-term earnings catalyst. Refining margin backdrop improves and investors refocus on cash-return story (QuiverQuant)
• Positive Sentiment: Geopolitical escalation commentary is being cited as a near-term bullish driver for energy names, helping explain momentum into fresh highs as traders re-price risk into oil and refined-product spreads. Why MPC is breaking out to fresh all-time highs (Benzinga)
• Neutral Sentiment: MPC announced its 2026 annual meeting and a proposed amendment to its Certificate of Incorporation — governance changes can affect shareholder rights or proxy dynamics; investors will watch the proxy language for any material shareholder-impacting provisions. Annual meeting and governance amendment (Yahoo Finance)
• Neutral Sentiment: Several retail and commentary pieces reiterate bullish fundamentals (attractive valuation vs forward earnings, strong cash returns) which can support longer-term demand but are less immediate than analyst actions or margin moves. Is MPC a good stock to buy now? (Yahoo/aggregated)
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America Securities issued a “hold” on MPC — a more cautious stance that can temper upside from bulls and provide cover for profit-taking, particularly after the recent run-up. MPC receives a Hold from Bank of America Securities (Globe and Mail)

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.