Murphy USA FY2025 EPS Forecast Lowered by Zacks Research

Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Zacks Research lowered their FY2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Murphy USA in a research report issued on Wednesday, July 23rd. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now expects that the specialty retailer will post earnings of $23.72 per share for the year, down from their prior forecast of $24.17. The consensus estimate for Murphy USA's current full-year earnings is $26.45 per share.

Several other brokerages also recently commented on MUSA. Raymond James Financial downgraded shares of Murphy USA from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th. KeyCorp lowered their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $500.00 to $480.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Stephens lowered 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 note on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Murphy USA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $519.86.

Murphy USA Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of NYSE:MUSA traded down $5.76 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $422.16. The company's stock had a trading volume of 252,667 shares, compared to its average volume of 238,300. Murphy USA has a 12-month low of $385.44 and a 12-month high of $561.08. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $422.40 and a 200-day moving average of $458.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.81 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.74.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 company had revenue of $4.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.79 billion. Murphy USA had a return on equity of 61.19% and a net margin of 2.46%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.12 earnings per share.

Institutional Trading of Murphy USA

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. GW&K Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the first quarter worth about $27,000. TCTC Holdings LLC boosted its position in Murphy USA by 116.7% in the first quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 65 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Murphy USA in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Murphy USA in the first quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new stake in Murphy USA in the first quarter valued at approximately $47,000. 80.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Murphy USA

In other Murphy USA news, Director David C. Haley bought 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $435.58 per share, with a total value of $435,580.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 1,000 shares in the company, valued at $435,580. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 9.04% of the company's stock.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 12th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.47%. This is a boost from Murphy USA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. Murphy USA's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 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.