Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) Shares Bought by MetLife Investment Management LLC

MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Free Report) by 6.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 11,193 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 712 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.06% of Murphy USA worth $5,616,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the fourth quarter valued at about $50,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC boosted its holdings in 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 last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its stake in Murphy USA by 186.1% during the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 103 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in Murphy USA during the 4th quarter worth approximately $55,000. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Murphy USA in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $67,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.81% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related 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 value 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 represents a 25.23 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Jeanne Linder Phillips sold 797 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $452.31, for a total transaction of $360,491.07. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 2,349 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,062,476.19. This trade represents a 25.33 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 3,594 shares of company stock valued at $1,695,043 in the last three months. 9.04% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Murphy USA Stock Performance

MUSA traded down $0.68 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $493.53. 44,395 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 203,976. Murphy USA Inc. has a 52 week low of $382.04 and a 52 week high of $561.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $471.14 and a 200 day moving average of $493.76. The stock has a market cap of $9.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.38 and a beta of 0.73.

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

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.40%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. This is a boost from Murphy USA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. Murphy USA's payout ratio is 8.10%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MUSA has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Melius began coverage on shares of Murphy USA in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $600.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com upgraded Murphy USA from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. Stephens upgraded Murphy USA to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 7th. KeyCorp began coverage on Murphy USA in a report on Friday, April 11th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $550.00 price target for the company. Finally, Melius Research upgraded Murphy USA to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and three have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $539.00.

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.