Kirr Marbach & Co. LLC IN Sells 37,277 Shares of Marathon Petroleum Co. (NYSE:MPC)

Kirr Marbach & Co. LLC IN trimmed its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum Co. (NYSE:MPC) by 42.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 49,620 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 37,277 shares during the period. Marathon Petroleum makes up about 1.5% of Kirr Marbach & Co. LLC IN’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Kirr Marbach & Co. LLC IN’s holdings in Marathon Petroleum were worth $6,922,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Gladius Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. MeadowBrook Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in Marathon Petroleum by 88.9% in 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 increased its position in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 672.7% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 170 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum in the third quarter worth approximately $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.77% of the company’s stock.

Marathon Petroleum Stock Down 1.3 %

NYSE MPC opened at $150.64 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $147.03 and a 200-day moving average price of $158.44. Marathon Petroleum Co. has a one year low of $130.54 and a one year high of $221.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 1.23. The company has a market capitalization of $48.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 1.42.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 5th. The oil and gas company reported $1.87 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.97 by $0.90. The business had revenue of $35.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.34 billion. Marathon Petroleum had a net margin of 3.15% and a return on equity of 16.19%. The business’s revenue was down 14.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $8.14 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Marathon Petroleum Co. will post 8.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum declared that its board has approved a share repurchase plan 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 shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Marathon Petroleum Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 19th will be paid a $0.91 dividend. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.42%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 19th. Marathon Petroleum’s payout ratio is 28.84%.

Insider Transactions at Marathon Petroleum

In other news, Director Jeffrey C. Campbell purchased 6,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 4th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $149.61 per share, with a total value of $897,660.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 6,090 shares in the company, valued at approximately $911,124.90. This trade represents a 6,666.67 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.21% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MPC has been the topic of several analyst reports. Raymond James lifted their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $190.00 to $192.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating and set a $170.00 price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Scotiabank decreased their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $191.00 to $170.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Mizuho cut their price objective on Marathon Petroleum from $175.00 to $174.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $172.00 to $167.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $181.20.

Marathon Petroleum 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.