Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) Hits New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC)’s share price reached a new 52-week high on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $209.40 and last traded at $208.5390, with a volume of 1629080 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $204.15.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered Marathon Petroleum from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 20th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $200.00 to $225.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $183.00 to $198.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $213.00 to $217.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Marathon Petroleum currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $202.19.

Marathon Petroleum Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $62.69 billion, a PE ratio of 15.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.74. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $178.42 and a 200-day simple moving average of $181.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The oil and gas company reported $4.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.73 by $0.34. The business had revenue of $35.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $30.89 billion. Marathon Petroleum had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 14.00%. The company’s revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.77 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th will be given a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 18th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Marathon Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio is presently 29.96%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Activest Wealth Management increased its stake in Marathon Petroleum by 290.2% during the 2nd quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 160 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares in the last quarter. Navalign LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the third quarter valued at $39,000. 76.77% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.