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Independent oil refiner and marketer Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC - Free Report) reported second-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $4.12, which comfortably beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.04. The outperformance primarily reflects the stronger-than-expected performance of its Refining & Marketing segment. Operating income of the segment totaled $1.3 billion, surpassing the consensus mark of $1 billion.
However, the company’s bottom line fell from the year-ago adjusted profit of $5.32 due to a drop in refining margin.
Marathon Petroleum reported revenues of $38.4 billion, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $32 billion and improved 4.2% year over year.
Marathon Petroleum Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Refining & Marketing: The Refining & Marketing segment reported an operating income of $1.3 billion, which fell 42.3% from the year-ago profit of $2.3 billion. The drop primarily reflects lower year-over-year margins, partly offset by an increase in capacity utilization.
Specifically, the refining margin of $17.37 per barrel declined from $22.10 a year ago. But capacity utilization during the quarter was 97%, up from 93% in the corresponding period of 2023.
Meanwhile, total refined product sales volumes were 3,742 thousand barrels per day (mbpd), down from 3,581 mbpd in the year-ago quarter. But throughput rose from 2,925 mbpd in the year-ago quarter to 3,065 mbpd and outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 2,968 mbpd.
MPC’s operating costs per barrel decreased from $5.15 in the year-ago quarter to $4.97.
Midstream: This unit mainly reflects Marathon Petroleum’s general partner and majority limited partner interests in MPLX LP (MPLX) — a publicly traded master limited partnership that owns, operates, develops and acquires pipelines and other midstream assets.
Segment profitability was $1.3 billion, up 6.2% from the second quarter of 2023. Earnings were buoyed up by higher rates and volumes processed, together with contribution from acquired assets.
Financial Analysis
Marathon Petroleum reported expenses of $35.8 billion in second-quarter 2024, up 6.9% from the year-ago quarter.
In the reported quarter, Marathon Petroleum spent $569 million on capital programs (53% on Refining & Marketing and 42% on the Midstream segment) compared to $562 million in the year-ago period.
As of Jun 30, the Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) company had cash and cash equivalents of $4.4 billion and total debt, including that of MPLX, of $28.9 billion, with a debt-to-capitalization of 50.9%.
In the second quarter, MPC repurchased $2.9 billion of shares and a further $900 million worth of shares in July. The company currently has a remaining authorization of $5.8 billion.
While we have discussed Marathon Petroleum’s second-quarter result in detail, let’s take a look at some other key energy reports of this season.
Oil service biggie Halliburton (HAL - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2024 adjusted net income per share of 80 cents, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate and above the year-ago quarter profit of 77 cents (adjusted). The robust numbers reflect strength in the international markets. Meanwhile, revenues of $5.8 billion were $35 million higher than the corresponding period of 2023 but missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6 billion due to weak performance in the North American region.
Halliburton reported second-quarter capital expenditure of $347 million, higher than our projection of $303 million. As of Jun 30, 2024, the company had approximately $2.1 billion in cash/cash equivalents and $7.6 billion in long-term debt, representing a debt-to-capitalization ratio of 43.2. HAL also bought back $250 million worth its stock during the April-June period. The company generated $1.1 billion of cash flow from operations in the second quarter, leading to free cash flow of $793 million.
ConocoPhillips (COP - Free Report) , one of the world’s largest independent oil and gas producers, reported second-quarter 2024 adjusted earnings per share of $1.98, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.06. The bottom line, however, improved from the prior-year quarter’s $1.84 per share. ConocoPhillips’ higher costs and expenses led to a weaker-than-expected bottom line. The negatives were partially offset by strong oil equivalent production volumes — up 7.8% year over year.
As of Jun 30, 2024, ConocoPhillips had $4.3 billion in cash and cash equivalents. COP’s total long-term debt was $17 billion, while it had a short-term debt of $1.3 billion. Capital expenditure and investments totaled $3 billion. Net cash provided by operating activities was $4.9 billion.
Independent oil refiner and marketer Valero Energy (VLO - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2024 adjusted earnings of $2.71 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.61, driven by an increase in refining throughput volumes. Adjusted operating income in the Refining segment totaled $1.2 billion, down from $2.4 billion in the year-ago quarter. The figure also missed our estimate of $2.1 billion.
Valero’s total cost of sales increased to $33.1 billion from the year-ago figure of $31.5 billion. The figure is also above our estimate of $31.3 billion, primarily due to higher material costs. The second-quarter capital investment totaled $420 million, of which $329 million was allotted for sustaining the business.
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Marathon (MPC) Overcomes Lower Margins, Tops Q2 Earnings
Independent oil refiner and marketer Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC - Free Report) reported second-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $4.12, which comfortably beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.04. The outperformance primarily reflects the stronger-than-expected performance of its Refining & Marketing segment. Operating income of the segment totaled $1.3 billion, surpassing the consensus mark of $1 billion.
However, the company’s bottom line fell from the year-ago adjusted profit of $5.32 due to a drop in refining margin.
Marathon Petroleum reported revenues of $38.4 billion, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $32 billion and improved 4.2% year over year.
Marathon Petroleum Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Marathon Petroleum Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Marathon Petroleum Corporation Quote
Inside MPC’s Segments
Refining & Marketing: The Refining & Marketing segment reported an operating income of $1.3 billion, which fell 42.3% from the year-ago profit of $2.3 billion. The drop primarily reflects lower year-over-year margins, partly offset by an increase in capacity utilization.
Specifically, the refining margin of $17.37 per barrel declined from $22.10 a year ago. But capacity utilization during the quarter was 97%, up from 93% in the corresponding period of 2023.
Meanwhile, total refined product sales volumes were 3,742 thousand barrels per day (mbpd), down from 3,581 mbpd in the year-ago quarter. But throughput rose from 2,925 mbpd in the year-ago quarter to 3,065 mbpd and outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 2,968 mbpd.
MPC’s operating costs per barrel decreased from $5.15 in the year-ago quarter to $4.97.
Midstream: This unit mainly reflects Marathon Petroleum’s general partner and majority limited partner interests in MPLX LP (MPLX) — a publicly traded master limited partnership that owns, operates, develops and acquires pipelines and other midstream assets.
Segment profitability was $1.3 billion, up 6.2% from the second quarter of 2023. Earnings were buoyed up by higher rates and volumes processed, together with contribution from acquired assets.
Financial Analysis
Marathon Petroleum reported expenses of $35.8 billion in second-quarter 2024, up 6.9% from the year-ago quarter.
In the reported quarter, Marathon Petroleum spent $569 million on capital programs (53% on Refining & Marketing and 42% on the Midstream segment) compared to $562 million in the year-ago period.
As of Jun 30, the Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) company had cash and cash equivalents of $4.4 billion and total debt, including that of MPLX, of $28.9 billion, with a debt-to-capitalization of 50.9%.
In the second quarter, MPC repurchased $2.9 billion of shares and a further $900 million worth of shares in July. The company currently has a remaining authorization of $5.8 billion.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Important Energy Earnings So Far
While we have discussed Marathon Petroleum’s second-quarter result in detail, let’s take a look at some other key energy reports of this season.
Oil service biggie Halliburton (HAL - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2024 adjusted net income per share of 80 cents, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate and above the year-ago quarter profit of 77 cents (adjusted). The robust numbers reflect strength in the international markets. Meanwhile, revenues of $5.8 billion were $35 million higher than the corresponding period of 2023 but missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6 billion due to weak performance in the North American region.
Halliburton reported second-quarter capital expenditure of $347 million, higher than our projection of $303 million. As of Jun 30, 2024, the company had approximately $2.1 billion in cash/cash equivalents and $7.6 billion in long-term debt, representing a debt-to-capitalization ratio of 43.2. HAL also bought back $250 million worth its stock during the April-June period. The company generated $1.1 billion of cash flow from operations in the second quarter, leading to free cash flow of $793 million.
ConocoPhillips (COP - Free Report) , one of the world’s largest independent oil and gas producers, reported second-quarter 2024 adjusted earnings per share of $1.98, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.06. The bottom line, however, improved from the prior-year quarter’s $1.84 per share. ConocoPhillips’ higher costs and expenses led to a weaker-than-expected bottom line. The negatives were partially offset by strong oil equivalent production volumes — up 7.8% year over year.
As of Jun 30, 2024, ConocoPhillips had $4.3 billion in cash and cash equivalents. COP’s total long-term debt was $17 billion, while it had a short-term debt of $1.3 billion. Capital expenditure and investments totaled $3 billion. Net cash provided by operating activities was $4.9 billion.
Independent oil refiner and marketer Valero Energy (VLO - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2024 adjusted earnings of $2.71 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.61, driven by an increase in refining throughput volumes. Adjusted operating income in the Refining segment totaled $1.2 billion, down from $2.4 billion in the year-ago quarter. The figure also missed our estimate of $2.1 billion.
Valero’s total cost of sales increased to $33.1 billion from the year-ago figure of $31.5 billion. The figure is also above our estimate of $31.3 billion, primarily due to higher material costs. The second-quarter capital investment totaled $420 million, of which $329 million was allotted for sustaining the business.