Analysts Set Marathon Petroleum Co. (NYSE:MPC) Price Target at $181.27

Marathon Petroleum Co. (NYSE:MPC) has earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $181.27.

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on MPC shares. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating and issued a $170.00 price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $168.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Raymond James increased their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $190.00 to $192.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $182.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, Tudor Pickering raised Marathon Petroleum from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th.

Marathon Petroleum Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MPC opened at $146.23 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $147.49 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $156.00. Marathon Petroleum has a twelve month low of $130.54 and a twelve month high of $221.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.00 billion, a PE ratio of 14.73, a P/E/G ratio of 3.11 and a beta of 1.41.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The oil and gas company reported $0.77 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.06 by $0.71. Marathon Petroleum had a net margin of 2.45% and a return on equity of 12.07%. The business had revenue of $33.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.94 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.98 EPS. Marathon Petroleum’s revenue was down 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Marathon Petroleum will post 8.47 EPS for the current year.

Marathon Petroleum announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, November 5th that allows the company to repurchase $5.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the oil and gas company to repurchase up to 10% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.91 per share. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.49%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 19th. Marathon Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.66%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marathon Petroleum

In related news, Director Jeffrey C. Campbell bought 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 4th. The stock was bought at an average price of $149.61 per share, with a total value of $897,660.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 6,090 shares in the company, valued at approximately $911,124.90. The trade was a 6,666.67 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marathon Petroleum

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 78.1% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 9,961,503 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,389,630,000 after purchasing an additional 4,367,774 shares during the last quarter. Demars Financial Group LLC boosted its position in Marathon Petroleum by 16,338.3% during the 4th quarter. Demars Financial Group LLC now owns 4,177,133 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $582,710,000 after buying an additional 4,151,722 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Marathon Petroleum in the 4th quarter worth $453,427,000. Boston Partners increased its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 37.4% in the fourth quarter. Boston Partners now owns 3,436,704 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $480,501,000 after acquiring an additional 935,042 shares during the period. Finally, ING Groep NV bought a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the third quarter valued at about $114,107,000. 76.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Marathon Petroleum Company Profile

Marathon Petroleum Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated downstream energy company primarily in the United States. The company operates through Refining & Marketing, and Midstream segments. The Refining & Marketing segment refines crude oil and other feedstocks at its refineries in the Gulf Coast, Mid-Continent, and West Coast regions of the United States; and purchases refined products and ethanol for resale and distributes refined products, including renewable diesel, through transportation, storage, distribution, and marketing services.