You should get in now ahead of the split

Article Excerpt

This oil industry giant—with refineries, pipelines and gas stations—must soon decide if it will spin off key assets to unlock value for its investors. But even if it decides against a split, Marathon’s earnings are set to keep rising on the strength of its cost-cutting plan. That should, in turn, lift its share price as well as shareholder gains. MARATHON PETROLEUM CORP., $63, is a spinoff buy. The company (New York symbol MPC; Resources sector; Shares o/s: 658.3 million; Market cap: $41.5 billion; Divd. yield: 3.4%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.marathonpetroluem.com) owns 16 oil refineries in the U.S. Through its Speedway business, the company also operates 3,900 gas stations and convenience stores across the U.S. Marathon Oil Corp. (New York symbol MRO) spun off the company in 2011. As then an independent firm, Marathon’s revenue fell 35.2%, from $97.82 billion in 2014 to $63.34 billion in 2016. That reflects its move to transfer some of its midstream pipeline and storage assets to…