Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) Price Target Raised to $228.00

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) had its target price increased by Piper Sandler from $197.00 to $228.00 in a research report report published on Thursday, MarketBeat reports. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the oil and gas company’s stock.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. UBS Group increased their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $221.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $211.00 to $179.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $230.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Zacks Research upgraded Marathon Petroleum from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Marathon Petroleum from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marathon Petroleum has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $232.88.

Marathon Petroleum Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MPC opened at $222.85 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $218.24 and a 200 day moving average price of $196.09. Marathon Petroleum has a twelve month low of $117.74 and a twelve month high of $255.77. The company has a market cap of $65.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.69, a PEG ratio of 0.41 and a beta of 0.58. 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 announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The oil and gas company reported $4.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.73 by $0.34. Marathon Petroleum had a return on equity of 13.90% and a net margin of 2.99%.The firm had revenue of $32.57 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $30.89 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.77 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Marathon Petroleum will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th were given a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 18th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. Marathon Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.96%.

Insider Activity at Marathon Petroleum

In other Marathon Petroleum news, insider Ricky D. Hessling sold 1,626 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.18, for a total value 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,473 shares of company stock valued at $1,015,428. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marathon Petroleum

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MPC. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 30.9% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 4,988 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $696,000 after buying an additional 1,178 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP lifted its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 38.3% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 26,697 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $3,889,000 after buying an additional 7,396 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 26.6% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,221 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $369,000 after buying an additional 466 shares during the period. CW Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 20.1% during the 2nd quarter. CW Advisors LLC now owns 2,588 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $430,000 after buying an additional 434 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP bought a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $8,505,000. Institutional investors own 76.77% of the company’s stock.

Marathon Petroleum News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs raised its price target to $264 and maintained a Buy — the largest, most bullish lift this week and a clear catalyst for upside re-rating. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays moved its target to $230 and kept an Overweight — another institutional vote that supports further multiple expansion. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded MPC from Hold to Strong-Buy, adding short-term positive sentiment from retail-focused research. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage piece notes upgraded earnings views, stronger refiner margins with higher oil, and an active buyback program — a fundamental case supporting a higher forward valuation. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup raised its target to $243 but kept a Neutral rating — signals upside but tempered conviction. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan and Piper Sandler both lifted targets (to $235 and $228 respectively) while keeping Neutral ratings — modestly constructive but not strong buy-side conviction. JPMorgan Article Piper Article
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the bullish analyst activity, MPC experienced a sharp intraday drop on April 8 (roughly a 5.5% decline) — a reminder of near-term volatility and possible profit-taking after the recent run-up. Article Title

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.