BW Gestao de Investimentos Ltda. Invests $1.41 Million in Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA)

BW Gestao de Investimentos Ltda. acquired a new position in Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 2,800 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,405,000.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. acquired a new stake in Murphy USA in the fourth quarter worth about $50,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its position in Murphy USA by 37.0% in the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 100 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 186.1% in 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 during the period. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in Murphy USA during the fourth quarter valued at about $55,000. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Murphy USA during the fourth quarter worth about $64,000. 80.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Murphy USA Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of Murphy USA stock traded down $2.06 on Friday, hitting $441.99. 532,435 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 205,568. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18. Murphy USA Inc. has a 12-month low of $408.15 and a 12-month high of $561.08. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $476.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $494.27. The company has a market cap of $8.75 billion, a PE ratio of 18.26 and a beta of 0.59.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The specialty retailer reported $2.63 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.87 by ($1.24). Murphy USA had a return on equity of 61.60% and a net margin of 2.48%. The firm had revenue of $4.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.79 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.12 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 12th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.45%. This is an increase from Murphy USA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Murphy USA's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 8.26%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. KeyCorp reduced their price objective on shares of Murphy USA from $550.00 to $525.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday. StockNews.com upgraded Murphy USA from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 26th. Melius started coverage on Murphy USA in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. They set a "buy" rating and a $600.00 target price on the stock. Raymond James lowered Murphy USA from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Melius Research upgraded Murphy USA to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $526.29.

Insider Activity at Murphy USA

In related news, CMO Renee M. Bacon sold 2,000 shares of Murphy USA stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $469.58, for a total value of $939,160.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer now owns 5,927 shares in the company, valued at $2,783,200.66. This trade represents a 25.23 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Jeanne Linder Phillips sold 797 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $452.31, for a total value of $360,491.07. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 2,349 shares in the company, valued at $1,062,476.19. This trade represents a 25.33 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 3,594 shares of company stock valued at $1,695,043. Insiders own 9.04% of the company's stock.

Murphy USA 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.