Vestor Capital LLC Grows Position in Marathon Petroleum Co. (NYSE:MPC)

Vestor Capital LLC grew its stake in Marathon Petroleum Co. (NYSE:MPC) by 103.2% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 2,723 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,383 shares during the period. Vestor Capital LLC’s holdings in Marathon Petroleum were worth $444,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 400.0% during the 1st quarter. FinTrust Capital Advisors LLC now owns 125 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Marathon Petroleum in the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Marathon Petroleum in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 2nd quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the second quarter worth $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.77% of the company’s stock.

Marathon Petroleum Trading Up 0.8 %

MPC opened at $144.25 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $48.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.38. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $162.57 and its 200-day moving average is $171.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86. Marathon Petroleum Co. has a 52-week low of $140.98 and a 52-week high of $221.11.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The oil and gas company reported $4.12 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.09 by $1.03. The firm had revenue of $38.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.66 billion. Marathon Petroleum had a net margin of 4.79% and a return on equity of 24.05%. The firm’s revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $5.32 EPS. Analysts expect that Marathon Petroleum Co. will post 8.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be issued a $0.91 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.52%. This is an increase from Marathon Petroleum’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. Marathon Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio is currently 17.34%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Mizuho decreased their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $198.00 to $193.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Bank of America started coverage on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $174.00 target price for the company. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $222.00 to $231.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 15th. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $168.00 to $145.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, September 20th. Finally, Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Marathon Petroleum in a report on Thursday, July 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $200.00 target price on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marathon Petroleum currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $187.00.

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.