Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Stock Rating Lowered by StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report published on Friday.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on MUSA. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 7th. Melius began coverage on shares of Murphy USA in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. They set a “buy” rating and a $600.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $550.00 to $554.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Melius Research upgraded shares of Murphy USA to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Murphy USA has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $525.67.

Murphy USA Stock Performance

Shares of MUSA opened at $440.45 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.37. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $474.38 and its 200-day moving average is $497.37. Murphy USA has a 12-month low of $382.04 and a 12-month high of $561.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.20 and a beta of 0.80.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $6.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.46 by $0.50. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.48% and a return on equity of 61.60%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Murphy USA will post 26.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th were given a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.44%. This is a positive change from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio is 8.10%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Murphy USA news, Director Rosemary Turner sold 797 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $496.10, for a total value of $395,391.70. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CMO Renee M. Bacon sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $469.58, for a total transaction of $939,160.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer now owns 5,927 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,783,200.66. This represents a 25.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 3,594 shares of company stock worth $1,695,043. 9.04% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Murphy USA

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. bought a new position in shares of Murphy USA during the 4th quarter valued at $50,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its position in Murphy USA by 37.0% during the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 100 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its holdings in Murphy USA by 186.1% during the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 103 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy USA in the fourth quarter worth about $55,000. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy USA in the fourth quarter worth about $64,000. 80.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Murphy USA

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.