Marathon Petroleum Soars to 52-Week High on Earnings Beat Defying 310th-Most-Traded Volume

Marathon Petroleum (MPC) closed 2.52% higher on 2025-08-27, reaching a 52-week high, despite a 40.86% drop in trading volume to $0.32 billion, ranking it 310th in market activity. The stock’s surge followed a Q2 earnings beat of $0.74 per share and revenue of $34.1 billion, prompting analysts to raise price targets to $205. Institutional investors trimmed stakes, but market optimism, fueled by a 4.5% annualized shareholder return and a 2.1% dividend yield, propelled the rally.

Technical indicators reinforced bullish sentiment, with RSI nearing overbought levels and MACD signaling a crossover. The stock traded 15% above its 200-day moving average, while Bollinger Bands highlighted strong momentum above the upper band. Analysts highlighted Marathon’s aggressive capital allocation and refining margin resilience as key drivers, contrasting with broader sector trends. However, traders remain cautious about short-term volatility amid overbought conditions.

Backtest data suggests a 3% MACD increase historically correlates with positive returns: a 57.94% 3-day win rate, 61.27% 10-day win rate, and 64.30% 30-day win rate, with a maximum 8.91% gain observed over 30 days. This pattern aligns with Marathon’s recent performance, though proximity to the $183.1 52-week high and $178.29 intraday peak remain critical resistance levels to monitor for trend continuation.