Voloridge Investment Management LLC Purchases 4,390 Shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA)

Voloridge Investment Management LLC raised its position in Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Free Report) by 6.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 74,910 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after buying an additional 4,390 shares during the quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC owned about 0.37% of Murphy USA worth $37,586,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $112,741,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 69.9% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 428,379 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $211,135,000 after purchasing an additional 176,308 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $53,777,000. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,864,405 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $935,465,000 after purchasing an additional 54,658 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in Murphy USA by 363.2% during the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 54,471 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $27,331,000 after acquiring an additional 42,712 shares during the last quarter. 80.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Murphy USA Stock Down 1.7%

Shares of MUSA stock traded down $7.51 on Tuesday, hitting $436.37. The stock had a trading volume of 72,202 shares, compared to its average volume of 269,906. The business has a 50 day moving average of $474.69 and a 200 day moving average of $491.05. The stock has a market cap of $8.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.01 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.37. Murphy USA Inc. has a 12-month low of $424.02 and a 12-month high of $561.08.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The specialty retailer reported $2.63 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.87 by ($1.24). The firm had revenue of $4.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.79 billion. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.48% and a return on equity of 61.60%. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.12 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 EPS for the current year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, May 12th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 12th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.46%. This is a positive change from Murphy USA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Murphy USA's dividend payout ratio is presently 8.44%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on MUSA shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Murphy USA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $550.00 to $554.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Melius Research raised shares of Murphy USA to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Stephens dropped their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $530.00 to $475.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Murphy USA has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $526.29.

Insider Activity at Murphy USA

In other Murphy USA news, CMO Renee M. Bacon sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $469.58, for a total transaction of $939,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer now owns 5,927 shares in the company, valued at $2,783,200.66. This trade represents a 25.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Jeanne Linder Phillips sold 797 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $452.31, for a total transaction of $360,491.07. Following the transaction, the director now owns 2,349 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,062,476.19. This represents a 25.33% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 9.04% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Murphy USA Company 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.