Murphy USA Inc. $MUSA Shares Sold by Horrell Capital Management Inc.

Key Points

• Horrell Capital Management trimmed its Murphy USA stake by 8.2% in the first quarter, selling 1,993 shares and ending with 22,337 shares valued at about $11.0 million.
• Murphy USA reported strong quarterly results, posting $7.28 EPS versus $5.37 expected and revenue of $4.82 billion, while also raising its quarterly dividend to $0.64 per share.
• Wall Street sentiment remains mostly positive: several analysts raised price targets and the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average target of $571.22.

Horrell Capital Management Inc. decreased its position in shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Free Report) by 8.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 22,337 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 1,993 shares during the quarter. Murphy USA accounts for about 5.0% of Horrell Capital Management Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 5th biggest position. Horrell Capital Management Inc. owned about 0.12% of Murphy USA worth $11,034,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its holdings in Murphy USA by 82.4% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 62 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank grew its holdings in 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 during the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Murphy USA in the third quarter valued at $26,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Murphy USA by 423.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 68 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Murphy USA in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.81% of the company's stock.

Murphy USA Price Performance

NYSE:MUSA opened at $584.75 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $10.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.24. The company's 50-day moving average is $558.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $483.91. Murphy USA Inc. has a 12-month low of $345.23 and a 12-month high of $636.04.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The specialty retailer reported $7.28 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $5.37 by $1.91. The business had revenue of $4.82 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.70 billion. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.81% and a return on equity of 91.05%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.63 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Murphy USA Inc. will post 32.3 EPS for the current year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Monday, May 18th were given a dividend of $0.64 per share. This represents a $2.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. This is an increase from Murphy USA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 18th. Murphy USA's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 8.85%.

Insider Transactions at Murphy USA

In other Murphy USA news, SVP Scott G. Woodward sold 158 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $600.50, for a total value of $94,879.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 476 shares in the company, valued at approximately $285,838. The trade was a 24.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Robert Madison Murphy sold 41,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $596.96, for a total value of $24,773,840.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 342,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $204,286,875.52. This represents a 10.82% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 46,225 shares of company stock worth $27,363,392 in the last three months. 9.02% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on MUSA. Jefferies Financial Group raised Murphy USA from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $550.00 to $625.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Murphy USA from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. KeyCorp lifted their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $600.00 to $680.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Murphy USA from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, June 27th. Finally, Capital One Financial assumed coverage on shares of Murphy USA in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $710.00 price target on the stock. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $571.22.

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.

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