Leeward Investments LLC MA Has $26.43 Million Position in Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA)

Leeward Investments LLC MA lowered its position in Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) by 6.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 52,683 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 3,926 shares during the period. Murphy USA accounts for 1.3% of Leeward Investments LLC MA’s portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Leeward Investments LLC MA owned 0.26% of Murphy USA worth $26,434,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MUSA. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Murphy USA by 49,501.3% in the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 388,874 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $191,664,000 after buying an additional 388,090 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in Murphy USA by 69.9% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 428,379 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $211,135,000 after buying an additional 176,308 shares during the last quarter. Fiera Capital Corp acquired a new position in Murphy USA in the third quarter worth approximately $53,387,000. FMR LLC grew its holdings in Murphy USA by 6.0% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,751,206 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $863,116,000 after purchasing an additional 99,253 shares during the last quarter. Finally, World Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Murphy USA during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,122,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.81% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MUSA has been the topic of several analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Murphy USA from $550.00 to $554.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Murphy USA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $510.80.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Rosemary Turner sold 797 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.10, for a total value of $395,391.70. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 9.04% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Murphy USA Stock Down 3.4 %

MUSA opened at $445.19 on Friday. Murphy USA Inc. has a 1-year low of $382.04 and a 1-year high of $561.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.40 and a beta of 0.79. The business has a 50 day moving average of $495.66 and a 200-day moving average of $504.99.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $6.96 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.46 by $0.50. Murphy USA had a return on equity of 61.60% and a net margin of 2.48%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be given a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.44%. This is a boost from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 24th. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.93%.

Murphy USA Company Profile

Murphy USA Inc engages in marketing of retail motor fuel products and convenience merchandise. The company operates retail stores under the Murphy USA, Murphy Express, and QuickChek brands, as well as operates non-fuel convenience stores. It operates retail gasoline stores principally in the Southeast, Southwest, and Midwest United States.