American Century Companies Inc. Purchases 17,340 Shares of Murphy USA Inc. $MUSA

Key Points

• American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in Murphy USA by 44.2%, owning 56,568 shares worth approximately $26.6 million as per the latest SEC filing.
• GAMMA Investing LLC made significant changes, boosting its position in Murphy USA by over 53,000% during the same period, now holding 553,906 shares valued at $260.2 million.
• Murphy USA announced an increase in its quarterly dividend from $0.50 to $0.53 per share, representing an annualized yield of 0.6%.

American Century Companies Inc. lifted its position in shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Free Report) by 44.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 56,568 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 17,340 shares during the quarter. American Century Companies Inc. owned approximately 0.29% of Murphy USA worth $26,576,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. GW&K Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. TCTC Holdings LLC grew its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 116.7% during the 1st quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 65 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the 1st quarter worth approximately $40,000. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the 1st quarter worth approximately $47,000. Finally, CX Institutional acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the 1st quarter worth approximately $59,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.81% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently commented on MUSA shares. Wall Street Zen lowered Murphy USA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered Murphy USA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $350.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Stephens decreased their price target on Murphy USA from $530.00 to $475.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Zacks Research raised Murphy USA from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. Finally, KeyCorp decreased their price target on Murphy USA from $500.00 to $480.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $476.29.

Insider Buying and Selling at Murphy USA

In other Murphy USA news, COO Malynda K. West sold 1,859 shares of Murphy USA stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $386.22, for a total value of $717,982.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 117,389 shares in the company, valued at approximately $45,337,979.58. The trade was a 1.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Robert Madison Murphy acquired 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 5th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $367.01 per share, with a total value of $1,835,050.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 389,172 shares in the company, valued at approximately $142,830,015.72. The trade was a 1.30% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 9.04% of the company's stock.

Murphy USA Price Performance

MUSA traded down $6.82 during trading on Thursday, hitting $371.53. The company's stock had a trading volume of 24,126 shares, compared to its average volume of 294,131. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $403.11 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $441.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.20. Murphy USA Inc. has a 12 month low of $345.23 and a 12 month high of $561.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.41 and a beta of 0.42.

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

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 25th will be given a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 25th. This is a positive change from Murphy USA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Murphy USA's dividend payout ratio is presently 8.78%.

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.