Marathon Petroleum Corp vs Novavax Inc — how do they compare? Marathon Petroleum Corp trades at $336.5 (market cap $89.95B), while Novavax Inc trades at $7.95 (market cap $1.30B). The key difference: Marathon Petroleum Corp is far larger — about 69.2× Novavax Inc's market cap, and Marathon Petroleum Corp pays a 1.25% dividend while Novavax Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| MPC | NVAX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $89.95B | $1.30B |
Sector | Energy | Health |
52-Week High | $320.32 | $11.19 |
52-Week Low | $158.59 | $6.22 |
Enterprise Value | $116.48B | $879.40M |
Dividend Yield | 1.25% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Marathon Petroleum (MPC) trades at $298.20, down 0.35% with a bearish technical signal despite strong fundamental performance. The stock shows exceptional earnings momentum with three consecutive quarterly beats, including a massive Q2 2026 EPS of $17.73 versus $14.27 expected. Valuation remains attractive with P/E of 10.34 and EV/EBITDA of 6.26, while maintaining robust profitability with 47.9% ROE.
MPC presents a compelling investment case with strong analyst support (76% buy ratings) and $330.70 price target upside. However, declining revenue trends from $177.5B in 2022 to $132.7B in 2025 and rising debt-to-asset ratio to 42.59% pose fundamental concerns. Technical weakness near pivot point resistance at $297 requires monitoring despite positive refining margin outlook.
Novavax (NVAX) trades at $7.95, up 2.71% with a bullish technical signal despite negative profitability metrics. The company shows mixed fundamentals with strong revenue growth to $1.12B in 2025 but negative net income margins. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat expectations, and the company raised its 2026 revenue outlook while cutting expenses. Analyst sentiment remains positive with 74% buy ratings.
Investment outlook balances strong partnerships and pipeline potential against persistent cash burn and negative equity. The Sanofi collaboration and Matrix-M adjuvant platform offer growth catalysts, but operational losses and high debt levels present significant risks. Stock appears undervalued on some metrics but requires careful monitoring of cash flow sustainability.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Marathon Petroleum is an independent refiner with 13 refineries in the midcontinent, West Coast, and Gulf Coast of the United States with total throughput capacity of 2.9 million barrels per day. Its Dickinson, ND, facility produces 184 million gallons a year of renewable diesel. Its Martinez, CA, facility will have the ability to produce 730 million gallons a year of renewable diesel once converted. The firm also owns and operates midstream assets primarily through its listed MLP, MPLX.
Read more on MPC →Novavax, Inc. is a clinical stage biotechnology company. The Company creates novel vaccines to address a broad range of infectious diseases worldwide using proprietary virus-like particle (VLP) technology.
Read more on NVAX →