Meeder Asset Management Inc. Makes New Investment in Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA)

Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 2,362 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,110,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. GW&K Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Murphy USA during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $40,000. CX Institutional purchased a new position in Murphy USA in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Murphy USA in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $64,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake in Murphy USA by 63.5% in the 1st quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 157 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $75,000 after buying an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.81% of the company's stock.

Murphy USA Stock Performance

MUSA stock traded down $0.52 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $361.96. 816,152 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 313,129. Murphy USA Inc. has a 1-year low of $345.23 and a 1-year high of $561.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.20, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $416.84 and its 200-day simple moving average is $455.19. The firm has a market cap of $7.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.99 and a beta of 0.43.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The specialty retailer reported $7.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.82 by $0.54. The company had revenue of $5.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.17 billion. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.52% and a return on equity of 64.63%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $6.92 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on MUSA shares. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $520.00 to $440.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Murphy USA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. Raymond James Financial downgraded shares of Murphy USA from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Murphy USA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $350.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Friday. Finally, Stephens dropped their price objective on shares of Murphy USA from $530.00 to $475.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $484.88.

Insider Buying and Selling at Murphy USA

In other Murphy USA news, Director David C. Haley purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $435.58 per share, with a total value of $435,580.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 1,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $435,580. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 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.