Timothy Griffith (Insider Trades), vice president and CFO of MPLX LP (MPLX), bought 1,000 shares of the company on Aug. 28. The average price per share was $50.26, for a total transaction of $50,260. MPLX LP is a United States master limited partnership formed by Marathon Petroleum Corporation in 2012. The company owns, operates, develops and acquires pipelines and other midstream assets related to the transportation and storage of crude oil, refined products and other hydrocarbon-based products. MPLX’s market cap is 3.97 billion, and P/S ratio is 7.14.
There were no insider sells of the company since its start in 2012. However, there were 13 insider buys totaling 210,250 shares of MPLX in 2012. The number and volume of MPLX insider buys decreased in 2013 to 1 transaction of 3,000 shares, but increased in the years following; There were 2 transactions totaling 12,300 shares of the company in 2014, and four transactions totaling 22,450 shares from January to the end of August alone. 
The earliest insider buys of $22 per share made in 2012 increased by over 100% since purchase. Griffith bought 7,000 shares of the company in 3 transactions since 2012; his first trade of 5,000 shares increased over 100% in price since the purchase in October 2012. Gary Heminger (Insider Trades), CEO of MPLX, bought 17,450 shares of the company on Aug. 27. The average price per share was $48.72 at that time. Heminger made one other transaction with the company in December 2014, buying 9,300 shares of the company at an average per share price of $61.40. For more information about insider transactions with MPLX LP, click here.
MPLX reported a net income of $51.4 million, or $0.50 per share in the second quarter of 2015. Net income increased from $42.9 million in comparison to the second quarter of 2014 but follows a decreasing tread from 2011 to 2015. Total revenue combined with other income also increased from $133.9 million to $147.6 million from the second quarter of 2014 to the corresponding quarter of 2014. Annual revenue for the company increased 8.1% from 2011 to 2015. 
MPLX and MarkWest Energy Partners, LP announced early termination under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976(HSR Act) Waiting Period on Aug. 25. This would make MarkWest a wholly owned subsidiary of MPLX, satisfying one of the conditions to closing of the transactions. As of Aug. 25, the transaction remains subject to approval by MarkWest unitholders and to other customary closing conditions. It is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2015.
One guru made a transaction with MPLX LP during the second quarter of 2015. Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio) (Trades, Portfolio) of Renaissance Technologies LLC, sold 24,984 shares of MPLX for an average price of $73.97 per share. This transaction reduced Simons’ holding in MPLX by 29.03%. The total estimated gain of the holding since the third quarter of 2014 is -14%. For more information about guru trades with MPLX, click here.
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