Guggenheim Capital LLC Sells 829 Shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA)

Guggenheim Capital LLC reduced its stake in shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Free Report) by 36.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,435 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 829 shares during the period. Guggenheim Capital LLC's holdings in Murphy USA were worth $720,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. bought a new position in shares of Murphy USA in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $50,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its position in shares of Murphy USA by 37.0% in the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 100 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 186.1% in the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 103 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the 4th quarter worth $55,000. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Murphy USA in the 4th quarter worth $67,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.81% of the company's stock.

Murphy USA Price Performance

Shares of MUSA stock traded down $2.41 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $498.85. The company had a trading volume of 222,286 shares, compared to its average volume of 204,500. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 0.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.61 and a beta of 0.73. Murphy USA Inc. has a 12 month low of $382.04 and a 12 month high of $561.08. The firm's fifty day moving average is $473.00 and its 200 day moving average is $493.84.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $6.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.46 by $0.50. Murphy USA had a return on equity of 61.60% and a net margin of 2.48%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th were given a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. This is a positive change from Murphy USA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.39%. Murphy USA's payout ratio is 8.10%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Rosemary Turner sold 797 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.10, for a total value of $395,391.70. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CMO Renee M. Bacon sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $469.58, for a total transaction of $939,160.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer now owns 5,927 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,783,200.66. This trade represents a 25.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 3,594 shares of company stock valued at $1,695,043. 9.04% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MUSA. KeyCorp began coverage on Murphy USA in a research report on Friday, April 11th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $550.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 7th. Melius assumed coverage on shares of Murphy USA in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $600.00 price objective on the stock. Stephens upgraded shares of Murphy USA to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $550.00 to $554.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $539.00.

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.