Here's Why Marathon Petroleum (MPC) Gained But Lagged the Market Today

In the latest trading session, Marathon Petroleum (MPC) closed at $138.31, marking a +0.53% move from the previous day. The stock’s performance was behind the S&P 500’s daily gain of 0.58%. At the same time, the Dow added 0.75%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.55%.

The refiner’s shares have seen a decrease of 5.57% over the last month, surpassing the Oils-Energy sector’s loss of 8.92% and falling behind the S&P 500’s loss of 0.84%.

Market participants will be closely following the financial results of Marathon Petroleum in its upcoming release. The company plans to announce its earnings on May 6, 2025. The company’s earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be -$0.63, reflecting a 122.66% decrease from the same quarter last year. At the same time, our most recent consensus estimate is projecting a revenue of $30.09 billion, reflecting a 9.41% fall from the equivalent quarter last year.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $7.50 per share and revenue of $123.3 billion, which would represent changes of -21.14% and -12.19%, respectively, from the prior year.

Furthermore, it would be beneficial for investors to monitor any recent shifts in analyst projections for Marathon Petroleum. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the company’s business and profitability.

Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To take advantage of this, we’ve established the Zacks Rank, an exclusive model that considers these estimated changes and delivers an operational rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, spanning from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), boasts an impressive track record of outperformance, audited externally, with #1 ranked stocks yielding an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 1.2% higher. Marathon Petroleum is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

In terms of valuation, Marathon Petroleum is presently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 18.34. This expresses a premium compared to the average Forward P/E of 15.39 of its industry.

We can additionally observe that MPC currently boasts a PEG ratio of 3.06. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company’s expected earnings growth rate. By the end of yesterday’s trading, the Oil and Gas — Refining and Marketing industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.36.