Marathon Petroleum Co. (NYSE:MPC) Shares Sold by Tranquility Partners LLC

Tranquility Partners LLC lowered its position in Marathon Petroleum Co. (NYSE:MPC) by 6.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,479 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 628 shares during the period. Tranquility Partners LLC’s holdings in Marathon Petroleum were worth $1,338,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Gladius Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. MeadowBrook Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in Marathon Petroleum by 88.9% in the 3rd quarter. MeadowBrook Investment Advisors LLC now owns 170 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 672.7% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 170 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.77% of the company’s stock.

Marathon Petroleum Stock Down 3.9 %

MPC stock opened at $149.26 on Thursday. Marathon Petroleum Co. has a 12 month low of $130.54 and a 12 month high of $221.11. The firm has a market cap of $47.97 billion, a PE ratio of 15.03, a P/E/G ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 1.41. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $145.84 and a 200 day simple moving average of $157.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 0.76.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The oil and gas company reported $0.77 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.06 by $0.71. The business had revenue of $33.47 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.94 billion. Marathon Petroleum had a net margin of 2.45% and a return on equity of 12.07%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 9.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.98 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Marathon Petroleum Co. will post 8.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, November 5th that authorizes the company to repurchase $5.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the oil and gas company to purchase up to 10% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Marathon Petroleum Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 19th will be paid a $0.91 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 19th. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.44%. Marathon Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio is presently 36.66%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marathon Petroleum

In other Marathon Petroleum news, Director Jeffrey C. Campbell purchased 6,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were bought at an average price of $149.61 per share, for a total transaction of $897,660.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 6,090 shares in the company, valued at $911,124.90. This trade represents a 6,666.67 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MPC has been the topic of several recent research reports. Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $175.00 to $174.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 16th. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $174.00 target price on the stock. Raymond James lifted their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $190.00 to $192.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $168.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $170.00 price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Marathon Petroleum currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $181.27.

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.