Nuveen LLC Takes $30.97 Million Position in Murphy USA Inc. $MUSA

Key Points

• Nuveen LLC has acquired a new stake in Murphy USA Inc. worth approximately $30.97 million, owning about 0.33% of the company following the first quarter.
• Murphy USA announced a quarterly dividend increase to $0.53 per share, with the ex-dividend date set for August 25th, and a payout ratio of 8.28%.
• Several analysts have recently downgraded Murphy USA's stock ratings, with the average target price now at $476.29, reflecting varied investor sentiments.

Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 65,917 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $30,968,000. Nuveen LLC owned approximately 0.33% of Murphy USA as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MUSA. GW&K Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Murphy USA during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. TCTC Holdings LLC grew its position in 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 purchased a new position in Murphy USA during the 1st quarter worth approximately $40,000. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new position in Murphy USA during the 1st quarter worth approximately $47,000. Finally, CX Institutional purchased a new position in Murphy USA during the 1st quarter worth approximately $59,000. 80.81% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently commented on MUSA. Raymond James Financial cut shares of Murphy USA from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Murphy USA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $350.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Friday, August 1st. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Murphy USA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. Stephens lowered their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $530.00 to $475.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $520.00 to $440.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Murphy USA has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $476.29.

Murphy USA Stock Down 0.4%

NYSE:MUSA traded down $1.6450 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $382.9550. The company's stock had a trading volume of 56,519 shares, compared to its average volume of 292,672. The company has a market cap of $7.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.84 and a beta of 0.42. Murphy USA Inc. has a one year low of $345.23 and a one year high of $561.08. The business's 50-day moving average is $404.91 and its 200-day moving average is $445.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.20, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.39.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The specialty retailer reported $7.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.82 by $0.54. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.52% and a return on equity of 64.63%. The company had revenue of $5.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $6.92 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was down 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 EPS for the current year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 25th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Murphy USA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 25th. Murphy USA's dividend payout ratio is currently 8.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Murphy USA

In other news, Director Robert Madison Murphy purchased 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 5th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $367.01 per share, for a total transaction of $1,835,050.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 389,172 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $142,830,015.72. The trade was a 1.30% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, COO Malynda K. West sold 1,859 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $386.22, for a total transaction of $717,982.98. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 117,389 shares of the company's stock, valued at $45,337,979.58. This trade represents a 1.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate 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.