KeyCorp Has Lowered Expectations for Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Stock Price

Key Points

• KeyCorp has reduced Murphy USA's price target from $500.00 to $480.00, while maintaining an "overweight" rating, indicating a potential upside of 12.36% from its current price.
• Murphy USA reported earnings of $2.63 per share, significantly missing analyst expectations of $3.87, with revenue also falling short at $4.53 billion compared to estimates of $4.79 billion.
• Analyst sentiment has shifted, with various agencies downgrading their ratings for Murphy USA, resulting in one sell rating, three holds, and four buy ratings, alongside an average target price of $519.86.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) had its price target reduced by stock analysts at KeyCorp from $500.00 to $480.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "overweight" rating on the specialty retailer's stock. KeyCorp's price objective points to a potential upside of 12.36% from the company's current price.

MUSA has been the subject of several other research reports. Stephens lowered their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $530.00 to $475.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 9th. Raymond James Financial cut shares of Murphy USA from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating 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 research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $519.86.

Murphy USA Stock Performance

MUSA opened at $427.18 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.44 billion, a PE ratio of 18.02 and a beta of 0.48. Murphy USA has a twelve month low of $385.44 and a twelve month high of $561.08. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $423.10 and its 200 day moving average price is $458.97. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.74.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The specialty retailer reported $2.63 earnings per share 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 analyst estimates of $4.79 billion. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.46% and a return on equity of 61.19%. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.12 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Murphy USA will post 26.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director David C. Haley purchased 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $435.58 per share, for a total transaction of $435,580.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 1,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $435,580. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 9.04% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Murphy USA

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in MUSA. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Murphy USA in the 1st quarter valued at about $241,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Murphy USA in the 1st quarter valued at about $40,000. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 21.1% during the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 1,210 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $568,000 after purchasing an additional 211 shares during the last quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the 1st quarter worth about $236,000. Finally, CX Institutional acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the 1st quarter worth about $59,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.81% of the company's stock.

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.

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