Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) has earned an average rating of “Hold” from the five ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $510.80.

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of 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 dropped their price target on Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Murphy USA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 15th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Murphy USA

In other news, Director Rosemary Turner sold 797 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.10, for a total transaction of $395,391.70. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 9.04% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Stifel Financial Corp boosted its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 22.2% during the 3rd quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 8,385 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $4,133,000 after purchasing an additional 1,526 shares during the period. Oak Thistle LLC bought a new stake in Murphy USA in the fourth quarter worth about $1,207,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new position in shares of Murphy USA during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $11,529,000. Assetmark Inc. grew its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 6.1% during the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 35,240 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $17,369,000 after buying an additional 2,028 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWA Asset Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Murphy USA in the third quarter worth approximately $1,573,000. 80.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Murphy USA Stock Down 3.8 %

Shares of MUSA opened at $461.39 on Friday. Murphy USA has a 12-month low of $382.04 and a 12-month 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 company has a market capitalization of $9.34 billion, a PE ratio of 19.07 and a beta of 0.79. The business’s 50 day moving average is $497.77 and its 200 day moving average is $505.46.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $6.96 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%. Research analysts expect that Murphy USA will post 26.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 5th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th will be given a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 24th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.42%. This is a positive change from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.93%.

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.