Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Director Sells $456,444.45 in Stock

Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) Director Jeanne Linder Phillips sold 1,155 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $395.19, for a total transaction of $456,444.45. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 1,543 shares in the company, valued at $609,778.17. This trade represents a 42.81% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

Murphy USA Stock Performance

MUSA traded down $3.98 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $387.55. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 176,388 shares, compared to its average volume of 343,091. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.47. Murphy USA Inc. has a one year low of $345.23 and a one year high of $523.09. The firm has a market cap of $7.18 billion, a PE ratio of 15.96, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.38. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $413.25 and its 200-day simple moving average is $392.74.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The specialty retailer reported $7.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.67 by $0.86. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.43% and a return on equity of 75.75%. The firm had revenue of $4.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.88 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $6.96 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Investors of record on Monday, February 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 23rd. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Murphy USA’s payout ratio is 10.38%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MUSA has been the topic of several analyst reports. Stephens lowered their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $475.00 to $450.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 6th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Murphy USA from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Murphy USA in a report on Friday, January 9th. They issued an “underperform” rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Murphy USA from $410.00 to $400.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, KeyCorp set a $500.00 price target on Murphy USA in a report on Thursday, February 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $457.50.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Murphy USA

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its stake in Murphy USA by 82.4% in the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 62 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank grew its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 106.7% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 62 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Murphy USA in the third quarter valued at $26,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Murphy USA by 423.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 68 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AlphaQuest LLC raised its stake in Murphy USA by 317.6% during the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 71 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. 80.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Murphy USA Company Profile

Murphy USA is a leading downstream marketer of gasoline, diesel and convenience store products in the United States. Headquartered in El Dorado, Arkansas, the company was originally established as part of Murphy Oil Corporation and was spun off as an independent public entity in 2013. Since its separation, Murphy USA has focused on retail fueling services and convenience offerings designed to deliver value and convenience to consumers.

The company’s primary operations center on two retail formats.