Moran Wealth Management LLC Sells 1,560 Shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA)

Moran Wealth Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Free Report) by 3.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 45,687 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 1,560 shares during the quarter. Moran Wealth Management LLC owned approximately 0.23% of Murphy USA worth $21,464,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. CX Institutional acquired a new stake in Murphy USA in the first quarter valued at $59,000. Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Murphy USA in the 4th quarter valued at about $64,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Murphy USA in the 4th quarter valued at about $67,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 63.5% in the first 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 during the period. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp raised its position in shares of Murphy USA by 18.7% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 203 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $95,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. 80.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director David C. Haley bought 1,000 shares of Murphy USA stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $435.58 per share, for a total transaction of $435,580.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at $435,580. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 9.04% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Stephens reduced their target price on Murphy USA from $530.00 to $475.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 9th. Melius Research upgraded shares of Murphy USA to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. KeyCorp reduced their price objective on shares of Murphy USA from $550.00 to $525.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Melius began coverage on shares of Murphy USA in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. They set a "buy" rating and a $600.00 target price for the company. Finally, Raymond James Financial downgraded Murphy USA from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $526.29.

Murphy USA Stock Performance

Shares of MUSA opened at $408.26 on Friday. Murphy USA Inc. has a one year low of $385.44 and a one year high of $561.08. The company has a market cap of $8.07 billion, a PE ratio of 17.22 and a beta of 0.50. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $445.56 and a 200-day moving average of $471.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.74, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.39.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The specialty retailer reported $2.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.87 by ($1.24). Murphy USA had a return on equity of 61.19% and a net margin of 2.46%. The firm had revenue of $4.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.79 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.12 EPS. The firm's revenue was down 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 12th were paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 12th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.49%. This is an increase from Murphy USA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Murphy USA's payout ratio is 8.44%.

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.