Xponance Inc. Reduces Stock Position in Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA)

Xponance Inc. lowered its stake in Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) by 5.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,177 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 223 shares during the quarter. Xponance Inc.’s holdings in Murphy USA were worth $1,489,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 191.7% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 70 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Murphy USA during the 4th quarter worth $44,000. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 34.2% during the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 153 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Key Financial Inc boosted its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 942.9% during the 4th quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 146 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Finally, C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 42.6% during the 3rd quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. now owns 174 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $59,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.81% of the company’s stock.

Murphy USA Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MUSA opened at $416.71 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.15, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a current ratio of 0.95. The company has a market cap of $8.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.34 and a beta of 0.76. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $412.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $381.95. Murphy USA Inc. has a 52-week low of $267.93 and a 52-week high of $430.83.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The specialty retailer reported $7.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.79 by $1.21. The company had revenue of $5.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.32 billion. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 70.92%. Murphy USA’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $5.21 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 26th were issued a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 23rd. This is an increase from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.40%. Murphy USA’s payout ratio is 6.59%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Robert J. Chumley sold 7,016 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $404.42, for a total value of $2,837,410.72. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 6,448 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,607,700.16. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, VP Donald R. Smith, Jr. sold 1,235 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $407.96, for a total transaction of $503,830.60. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 21,564 shares in the company, valued at $8,797,249.44. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Robert J. Chumley sold 7,016 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $404.42, for a total transaction of $2,837,410.72. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 6,448 shares in the company, valued at $2,607,700.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 10,440 shares of company stock valued at $4,244,582 in the last ninety days. 9.73% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $470.00 price target on shares of Murphy USA in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $440.00 to $460.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 19th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Murphy USA from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $375.00 to $425.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 4th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $382.00 to $408.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $408.60.

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.