Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts have an average recommendation of Hold (1 sell, 6 hold, 3 buy) with a 12‑month consensus price target of $455.67, versus the stock's recent open near $512.30—about 11% above the consensus target.
• Murphy USA reported Q4 EPS of $7.53, topping estimates of $6.67, but revenue of $4.74B missed the $4.88B consensus; the shares trade at a PE of 21.1 and the company has a market cap of roughly $9.48B.
• Insiders have sold 10,919 shares (~$4.49M) in the last 90 days (insiders own 9.02%), and the firm pays a modest quarterly dividend of $0.63 (annualized $2.52, yield ≈0.5%, payout ratio 10.38%).

Shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of "Hold" from the ten analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $455.6667.

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on MUSA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Murphy USA in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $539.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Murphy USA in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Murphy USA from $400.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on Murphy USA from $467.00 to $445.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Murphy USA from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th.

Murphy USA Stock Up 3.1%

Murphy USA stock opened at $512.30 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $9.48 billion, a PE ratio of 21.10, a PEG ratio of 3.36 and a beta of 0.23. Murphy USA has a 12-month low of $345.23 and a 12-month high of $530.88. The firm's fifty day moving average is $453.07 and its 200 day moving average is $415.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.47.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The specialty retailer reported $7.53 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.67 by $0.86. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.43% and a return on equity of 75.75%. The business had revenue of $4.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.88 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $6.96 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Murphy USA will post 25.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 23rd. Murphy USA's payout ratio is 10.38%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Keith A. Emery sold 899 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $382.53, for a total transaction of $343,894.47. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Renee M. Bacon sold 2,844 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $388.61, for a total transaction of $1,105,206.84. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 3,083 shares in the company, valued at $1,198,084.63. This represents a 47.98% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 10,919 shares of company stock valued at $4,490,690. 9.02% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Murphy USA

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 82.4% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 62 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank boosted its position in shares of Murphy USA by 106.7% during the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 62 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new stake in Murphy USA during the third quarter worth $26,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Murphy USA by 423.1% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 68 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AlphaQuest LLC raised its position in Murphy USA by 317.6% in the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 71 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.81% of the company's stock.

About Murphy USA

Murphy USA is a leading downstream marketer of gasoline, diesel and convenience store products in the United States. Headquartered in El Dorado, Arkansas, the company was originally established as part of Murphy Oil Corporation and was spun off as an independent public entity in 2013. Since its separation, Murphy USA has focused on retail fueling services and convenience offerings designed to deliver value and convenience to consumers.

The company's primary operations center on two retail formats.

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