Yahoo Finance Marathon (MPC) Q2 Earnings on Deck: Here's How It Will Fare
Marathon Petroleum Corporation MPC is set to release second-quarter results on Aug 6. The current Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter is a profit of $3.83 per share on revenues of $32 billion.
Let’s delve into the factors that might have influenced the independent oil refiner and marketer’s results in the June quarter. But it’s worth taking a look at MPC’s previous-quarter performance first.
Highlights of Q1 Earnings & Surprise History
In the last reported quarter, the Findlay, OH-based downstream operator beat the consensus mark on the stronger-than-expected performance of its Refining & Marketing segment. MPC had reported adjusted earnings per share of $2.78, well above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.53. Revenues of $33.2 billion generated by the firm also came in above the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.2%.
MPC beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters, which resulted in an average earnings surprise of 25%. This is depicted in the graph below:
Marathon Petroleum Corporation Price and EPS Surprise
Marathon Petroleum Corporation price-eps-surprise | Marathon Petroleum Corporation Quote
Trend in Estimate Revision
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the second-quarter bottom line has remained unchanged in the past seven days. The estimated figure indicates a 28% drop year over year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues, meanwhile, suggests a 13% decrease from the year-ago period.
Factors to Consider
On a bullish note, the improvement in Marathon Petroleum’s Midstream segment results might have buoyed its to-be-reported bottom line. Thanks to higher gathering system throughputs, robust tariff rates and the stable, fee-based revenues from its wide range of midstream energy services, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for this unit’s operating income is pegged at $1.3 billion, suggesting an increase of around $72 million from the prior-year quarter’s profit. This is likely to buoy the second-quarter results of MPC.
However, a lower refining margin may have acted as a headwind for Marathon Petroleum. Refinery turnarounds, primarily in the Mid-Con region, are also expected to have hampered segment earnings. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MPC’s second-quarter Refining & Marketing income is pegged at just over $1 billion, implying a plunge from $2.3 billion recorded in the year-ago period.
Marathon Petroleum is also expected to have suffered from higher costs during the quarter. In the first quarter of 2024, the company’s total costs and expenses of $31.4 billion rose 1.3% from $31 billion a year ago. This trend is most likely to have continued in the April-June period of 2024.
What Does Our Model Say?
The proven Zacks model does not conclusively show that Marathon Petroleum is likely to beat estimates in the second quarter. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of beating estimates. But that’s not the case here.
You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Earnings ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, for this company is -20.77%.
Zacks Rank: MPC currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
Stocks to Consider
While an earnings beat looks uncertain for Marathon Petroleum, here are some firms from the energy space that you may want to consider on the basis of our model:
Sunoco LP SUN has an Earnings ESP of +1.96% and a Zacks Rank #1. The firm is scheduled to release earnings on Aug 7.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Over the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Sunoco’s 2024 earnings has moved up 10%. Valued at around $5.6 billion, SUN has gained 20.2% in a year.
Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure, Inc. SOI has an Earnings ESP of +14.29% and a Zacks Rank #1. The firm is scheduled to release earnings on Aug 8.
Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 12.6%, on average. Valued at around $581.5 million, SOI has gained 23.5% in a year.
MPLX LP MPLX has an Earnings ESP of +0.34% and a Zacks Rank #3. The firm is scheduled to release earnings on Aug 6.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2024 earnings of MPLX indicates 5.8% growth. Valued at around $43.8 billion, MPLX has gained 21.1% in a year.
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Sunoco LP (SUN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure, Inc. (SOI) : Free Stock Analysis Report
