Is Most-Watched Stock Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) Worth Betting on Now?

Core Viewpoint - Marathon Petroleum (MPC) has been a highly searched stock, indicating potential interest and volatility in its performance [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - Over the past month, Marathon Petroleum shares have returned +4.9%, slightly underperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +5.1% and the Zacks Oil and Gas - Refining and Marketing industry's +6.9% [2] - The future direction of the stock is uncertain, influenced by both media reports and fundamental factors that drive long-term investment decisions [2] Group 2: Earnings Estimates - The expected earnings for the current quarter are $3.42 per share, reflecting a year-over-year decline of -17% [5] - The consensus earnings estimate for the current fiscal year is $6.98, indicating a year-over-year change of -26.6% [5] - For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate is $11.49, representing a significant increase of +64.6% from the previous year [6] Group 3: Revenue Growth - The consensus sales estimate for the current quarter is $30.91 billion, showing a year-over-year decline of -19.4% [11] - The revenue estimates for the current and next fiscal years are $124.6 billion and $122.6 billion, indicating changes of -11.3% and -1.6%, respectively [11] Group 4: Recent Results and Surprises - In the last reported quarter, Marathon Petroleum generated revenues of $31.85 billion, a year-over-year decrease of -4.1% [12] - The EPS for the same period was -$0.24, compared to $2.78 a year ago, but the company beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues by +5.86% and for EPS by +61.9% [12][13] Group 5: Valuation - Marathon Petroleum's valuation metrics suggest it is trading at a discount to its peers, receiving a Zacks Value Style Score of B [17] - The assessment of valuation multiples such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF) is crucial for determining the stock's intrinsic value [15][16] Group 6: Conclusion - The information presented may assist in evaluating the market interest surrounding Marathon Petroleum, with a Zacks Rank of 3 indicating it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term [18]