Sapient Capital LLC Acquires 298 Shares of Marathon Petroleum Co. (NYSE:MPC)

Sapient Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum Co. (NYSE:MPC) by 14.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 2,350 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after purchasing an additional 298 shares during the period. Sapient Capital LLC’s holdings in Marathon Petroleum were worth $328,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in MPC. Gladius Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the third quarter worth $26,000. MeadowBrook Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 88.9% during the third quarter. MeadowBrook Investment Advisors LLC now owns 170 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC grew its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 672.7% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 170 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the third quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the third quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors own 76.77% of the company’s stock.

Marathon Petroleum Trading Up 1.0 %

NYSE MPC opened at $155.31 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $49.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 0.76. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $145.84 and its 200-day moving average is $157.39. Marathon Petroleum Co. has a one year low of $130.54 and a one year high of $221.11.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The oil and gas company reported $0.77 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.06 by $0.71. The company had revenue of $33.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.94 billion. Marathon Petroleum had a return on equity of 12.07% and a net margin of 2.45%. Marathon Petroleum’s revenue was down 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.98 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Marathon Petroleum Co. will post 8.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, November 5th that allows the company to buyback $5.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the oil and gas company to repurchase up to 10% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 19th will be given a dividend of $0.91 per share. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.34%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 19th. Marathon Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.66%.

Insider Activity at Marathon Petroleum

In other Marathon Petroleum news, Director Jeffrey C. Campbell bought 6,000 shares of Marathon Petroleum stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 4th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $149.61 per share, for a total transaction of $897,660.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 6,090 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $911,124.90. The trade was a 6,666.67 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.21% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MPC has been the topic of several recent research reports. Mizuho decreased their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $175.00 to $174.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 16th. Raymond James raised their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $190.00 to $192.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Bank of America initiated coverage on Marathon Petroleum in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $174.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $182.00 to $183.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Finally, Tudor Pickering upgraded Marathon Petroleum from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $181.27.

About Marathon Petroleum

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.