Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. Sells 4,723 Shares of Marathon Petroleum Co. (NYSE:MPC)

Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. lowered its position in Marathon Petroleum Co. (NYSE:MPC) by 3.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 138,914 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 4,723 shares during the quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Marathon Petroleum were worth $19,379,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. True Wealth Design LLC increased its stake in Marathon Petroleum by 672.7% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 170 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the period. Asset Planning Inc bought a new stake in Marathon Petroleum during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Sierra Ocean LLC bought a new position in Marathon Petroleum in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Cape Investment Advisory Inc. increased its holdings in Marathon Petroleum by 762.9% during the 4th quarter. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 302 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares during the period. 76.77% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marathon Petroleum Trading Down 2.2 %

Shares of Marathon Petroleum stock opened at $144.05 on Friday. Marathon Petroleum Co. has a 1 year low of $130.54 and a 1 year high of $221.11. 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 has a market cap of $44.88 billion, a PE ratio of 14.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.11 and a beta of 1.39. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $148.74 and a 200 day moving average price of $151.51.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The oil and gas company reported $0.77 earnings per share (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 analysts’ expectations of $31.94 billion. Marathon Petroleum had a return on equity of 12.07% and a net margin of 2.45%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 9.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.98 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Marathon Petroleum Co. will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 19th were issued a dividend of $0.91 per share. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.53%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 19th. Marathon Petroleum’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.66%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MPC has been the subject of several recent research reports. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $160.00 to $156.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 7th. Raymond James restated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a report on Thursday. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $170.00 price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Barclays upped their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $159.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, March 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $183.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, March 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Marathon Petroleum has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $180.21.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marathon Petroleum

In related news, insider Ricky D. Hessling purchased 2,000 shares of Marathon Petroleum stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $134.72 per share, for a total transaction of $269,440.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 12,162 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,638,464.64. This trade represents a 19.68 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Evan Bayh acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $133.70 per share, for a total transaction of $133,700.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 69,305 shares in the company, valued at $9,266,078.50. The trade was a 1.46 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.21% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.