How Is Marathon Petroleum's Stock Performance Compared to Other Oil Refiner Stocks?

Findlay, Ohio-based Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) is an integrated downstream energy company that manufactures, transports, and markets an extensive array of transportation fuels, industrial commodities, and energy logistics services across the nation. Valued at a market cap of $78 billion, the company’s core products and services encompass the large-scale refining of gasoline, high-quality diesel, jet fuel, and liquefied petroleum gases. 

Companies valued at $10 billion or more are typically classified as “large-cap stocks,” and MPC fits the label perfectly, with its market cap exceeding this threshold, underscoring its size, influence, and dominance within the oil & gas refining & marketing industry. The company's strength lies in its massive refining footprint, managing approximately 3 million barrels of crude oil per calendar day across 13 strategically located refineries to command roughly 15% of the total U.S. refining market. 

This energy company is currently trading 1.7% below its 52-week high of $272.46, reached on Jun. 3. Shares of MPC have soared 21.6% over the past three months, outperforming the VanEck Oil Refiners ETF’s (CRAK) 7.5% uptick during the same time frame. 

In the longer term, MPC has rallied 71% over the past 52 weeks, outpacing CRAK's 64.3% uptick over the same time period. Additionally, on a YTD basis, shares of MPC are up 65%, compared to CRAK’s 32.8% increase. 

To confirm its bullish trend, MPC has been trading above its 200-day moving average over the past year, with slight fluctuations, and has remained above its 50-day moving average since early February, with minor fluctuations. 

On May 5, shares of MPC climbed 3.2% following the release of its strong Q1 results, which underscored the strength of its diversified operations and disciplined approach to capital management. The company reported adjusted EBITDA of $2.8 billion, up 39.9% from the prior-year period. Meanwhile, its adjusted earnings came in at $1.65 per share, a sharp improvement from a loss of $0.24 per share reported in the year-ago quarter and well ahead of Wall Street expectations. 

MPC has also outpaced its rival, Phillips 66 (PSX), which gained 64% over the past 52 weeks and 43% on a YTD basis.

Looking at MPC’s recent outperformance, analysts remain moderately optimistic about its prospects. The stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy” from the 18 analysts covering it, and the mean price target of $269.06 suggests a marginal premium to its current price levels.