Bowman & Co S.C. Sells 4,237 Shares of Marathon Petroleum Co. (NYSE:MPC)

Bowman & Co S.C. decreased its stake in Marathon Petroleum Co. (NYSE:MPC - Free Report) by 22.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 14,698 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 4,237 shares during the period. Marathon Petroleum accounts for approximately 1.1% of Bowman & Co S.C.'s holdings, making the stock its 24th largest position. Bowman & Co S.C.'s holdings in Marathon Petroleum were worth $2,050,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MPC. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 1,204.8% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 543,062 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $75,757,000 after purchasing an additional 501,441 shares during the last quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Marathon Petroleum by 27.7% in the third quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 43,174 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $7,033,000 after acquiring an additional 9,355 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 747.3% in the 3rd quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 21,275 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $3,466,000 after acquiring an additional 18,764 shares during the period. Holistic Planning LLC acquired a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 3rd quarter worth about $912,000. Finally, World Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 4,227.5% in the 3rd quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC now owns 69,759 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $11,364,000 after purchasing an additional 68,147 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.77% of the company's stock.

Marathon Petroleum Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MPC traded up $1.13 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $152.83. 2,479,994 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,802,449. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $147.76 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $159.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 1.23. Marathon Petroleum Co. has a 1-year low of $130.54 and a 1-year high of $221.11. The company has a market cap of $49.12 billion, a PE ratio of 12.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.42.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 5th. The oil and gas company reported $1.87 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.90. The business had revenue of $35.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.34 billion. Marathon Petroleum had a return on equity of 16.19% and a net margin of 3.15%. Marathon Petroleum's revenue was down 14.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $8.14 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Marathon Petroleum Co. will post 9.38 EPS for the current year.

Marathon Petroleum declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Tuesday, November 5th that allows the company to buyback $5.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the oil and gas company to reacquire up to 10% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Marathon Petroleum Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 20th were paid a $0.91 dividend. This is an increase from Marathon Petroleum's previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.38%. Marathon Petroleum's dividend payout ratio is presently 28.84%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Marathon Petroleum

In other news, Director Jeffrey C. Campbell acquired 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 4th. The stock was bought at an average price of $149.61 per share, with a total value of $897,660.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 6,090 shares of the company's stock, valued at $911,124.90. This represents a 6,666.67 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.21% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $186.00 to $182.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Marathon Petroleum from $172.00 to $171.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Citigroup cut their price target on Marathon Petroleum from $172.00 to $167.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 10th. 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 price objective on the stock. Finally, TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating and set a $170.00 target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $181.20.

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.