Does Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) Pay a Dividend? (2026)
Last updated July 2026
Short answer
Yes. Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) pays a dividend yielding about 1.26% as of August 2026, paid quarterly, four times a year. The latest payment on record was $1.00 per share, ex-dividend May 20, 2026. The forward annual rate is roughly $4.00 per share, about $126 a year on a $10,000 position before tax. The payout takes about 25% of earnings. Figures are approximate and dated; verify the current number with your broker.
Does Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) pay a dividend?
Yes. Marathon Petroleum Corporation distributes a dividend yielding roughly 1.26% as of August 2026, paid quarterly, four times a year. The most recent payment on record was $1.00 per share, with an ex-dividend date of May 20, 2026. Annualized, that is about $4.00 per share.
MPC's trailing earnings multiple of roughly 17x sits modestly above the oil and gas refining industry average but below many broader market benchmarks, a valuation gap that reflects the inherent cyclicality of refining margins and the capital intensity of the business. Full-year 2025 adjusted earnings per diluted share of approximately $10.70 improved from 2024's $9.51 on a per-share basis, aided by ongoing share buybacks that reduced the share count. The strong return on equity of approximately 24% reflects both profitability and the company's leveraged balance sheet.
MPC dividend at a glance
| 2026-05-20 | $1.00 |
| 2026-02-18 | $1.00 |
| 2025-11-19 | $1.00 |
| 2025-08-20 | $0.91 |
| 2025-05-21 | $0.91 |
| 2025-02-19 | $0.91 |
MPC dividend data as of August 2026, sourced from Yahoo Finance and may be delayed. Yield moves with price and payout; confirm the current dividend and ex-date with MPC's investor relations page before relying on it.
Is the MPC dividend covered?
Marathon Petroleum Corporation paid out about 25% of its earnings as dividends, so the payout is very well covered. A low ratio means the dividend has plenty of room and the company is keeping most of its profit to reinvest or buy back stock, which is also why the yield is modest.
Coverage is the question worth asking before yield. A dividend is only as good as the earnings behind it, and the highest yields on any screen are often the ones closest to being cut. Walnut is informational and is not an investment adviser.
How the MPC dividend has changed
The latest payment of $1.00 per share compares with $0.91 in the equivalent payment a year earlier (May 21, 2025). That is a change of 9.9% over the year.
A single year says little on its own. What dividend-growth investors track is the multi-year record: whether the payout has risen through a downturn, and whether the raises have kept pace with inflation. That record is on MPC's investor relations page.
What MPC's dividend means for you
- Income: about $126 a year per $10,000 invested, before tax.
- Yield is a ratio, not a payment: it rises when the share price falls. A jump in yield without a raise in the dividend means the stock got cheaper, which may or may not be good news.
- Total return: for MPC the dividend is one part of return and price change is usually the larger part. Compare total return, not yield, when weighing it against another holding.
- Reinvest or take the cash: a DRIP compounds the position automatically; taking the cash gives you income now. Either way it is taxable in a taxable account.
- If you want more yield: dedicated dividend names and funds target higher, steadier payouts. See the best dividend stocks and best dividend ETFs.
How MPC dividends are taxed
Dividends from US common stock are usually qualified, which means they are taxed at long-term capital-gains rates rather than as ordinary income, as long as you held the shares for more than 60 days in the 121-day window around the ex-dividend date. Distributions from REITs and BDCs generally do not qualify and are taxed as ordinary income. Inside an IRA, Roth, or 401(k) none of this applies while the money stays in the account. Full detail is in how dividends are taxed. This is not tax advice.
The bottom line on the MPC dividend
Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) pays about 1.26%, or roughly $4.00 per share a year. At that level the dividend is a modest supplement rather than the reason to own it: the case rests on total return. For the full picture see the MPC guide. Walnut can show how MPC fits your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Investing in Marathon Petroleum Corporation with AI
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FAQ
Does Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) pay a dividend?
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Yes. Marathon Petroleum Corporation pays a dividend yielding roughly 1.26% as of August 2026, paid quarterly, four times a year. The most recent payment on record was $1.00 per share with an ex-dividend date of May 20, 2026. That works out to a forward annual rate of about $4.00 per share. Yields move with the share price, so verify the current figure with your broker or MPC's investor relations page before relying on it.
What is MPC's dividend yield?
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About 1.26% as of August 2026. On a $10,000 position that is roughly $126 of dividend income a year before tax. For context, the S&P 500 yields around 1.2%, so MPC yields about the same as the broad market. A higher yield is not automatically better: it can reflect a falling share price as easily as a generous payout, so it is worth checking why the number is what it is.
How often does MPC pay its dividend?
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Marathon Petroleum Corporation pays quarterly, four times a year. The most recent payment on record had an ex-dividend date of May 20, 2026. To receive a given payment you have to own the shares before the ex-dividend date, not on the pay date. Confirm upcoming dates on MPC's investor relations page, because boards can change both the amount and the timing.
When is MPC's ex-dividend date?
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The ex-dividend date recorded in our August 2026 data pull is August 19, 2026. The ex-dividend date is the cutoff: buy on or after it and the seller keeps that payment, not you. Buying just before the ex-date to capture the dividend does not create free money, because the share price typically drops by roughly the dividend amount when the stock goes ex. Check MPC's investor relations page for the next confirmed date.
Has Marathon Petroleum Corporation raised its dividend recently?
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Yes. The latest payment of $1.00 per share is above the $0.91 paid in the same slot a year earlier, an increase of about 9.9%. One raise is not a policy, though: check the multi-year record on MPC's investor relations page, since a long streak of increases is what dividend-growth investors actually look for.
Is MPC's dividend safe?
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Marathon Petroleum Corporation paid out about 25% of its earnings as dividends, so the payout is very well covered. A low ratio means the dividend has plenty of room and the company is keeping most of its profit to reinvest or buy back stock, which is also why the yield is modest. Nobody can guarantee a dividend: boards cut them, and a high yield is sometimes the market pricing in exactly that. Walnut is not an investment adviser and this is not a recommendation.
How much would I earn in dividends from a $10,000 position in MPC?
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At a yield of about 1.26%, roughly $126 a year before tax, spread across 4 payments. That is a snapshot, not a promise: the amount changes when the company changes its payout, and your yield on cost is fixed at the price you paid, not at today's price.
Are MPC dividends qualified for tax purposes?
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Dividends from US common stock are usually qualified, meaning they are taxed at the lower long-term capital-gains rates, provided you held the shares for more than 60 days in the 121-day window around the ex-dividend date. Distributions from REITs, BDCs, and some pass-through structures are generally taxed as ordinary income instead. In an IRA or Roth the question does not arise. See our guide to how dividends are taxed. This is not tax advice.
Should I reinvest MPC dividends?
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Most brokers offer automatic reinvestment (a DRIP) that puts each MPC payment straight back into more shares, often fractional ones. Reinvesting compounds the position and is the standard choice when you do not need the cash yet. Taking the cash makes sense when you are spending the income or want to direct it elsewhere. Either way the dividend is taxable in a taxable account in the year it is paid, even if you never see the money.
Does MPC pay a dividend?
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Yes. Marathon Petroleum pays a regular quarterly cash dividend that has been increased multiple times in recent years, including a 10% quarterly dividend increase announced in Q3 2025. MPC's management has stated that MPLX distributions are expected to more than cover MPC's dividend and standalone capital needs in 2026. The dividend yield is modest relative to some peers, as MPC has prioritized share repurchases as its primary form of capital return.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Dividend figures on this page come from a August 2026 data pull and are approximate; verify the current yield, amount, schedule, and policy with MPC's investor relations page or your broker before acting on them.
Guides that feature MPC
MPC is one of the names covered in these guides. Each one puts the stock next to its peers so you can see where it fits rather than judging it alone.