Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) Receives $526.29 Consensus PT from Brokerages

Shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the eight brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have given a hold recommendation, four have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $526.29.

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Murphy USA from $550.00 to $554.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Murphy USA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 7th. Stephens decreased their target price on Murphy USA from $530.00 to $475.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, KeyCorp dropped their price target on Murphy USA from $550.00 to $525.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 9th.

Murphy USA Stock Performance

NYSE:MUSA traded down $0.62 on Friday, hitting $424.44. The company's stock had a trading volume of 194,394 shares, compared to its average volume of 215,999. Murphy USA has a one year low of $416.16 and a one year high of $561.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.54 and a beta of 0.59. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $472.90 and a two-hundred day moving average of $487.63. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The specialty retailer reported $2.63 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.87 by ($1.24). Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.48% and a return on equity of 61.60%. The business had revenue of $4.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.79 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.12 EPS. The firm's revenue was down 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Murphy USA will post 26.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 12th were paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.47%. This is an increase from Murphy USA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 12th. Murphy USA's dividend payout ratio is presently 8.44%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Murphy USA

In related news, Director David C. Haley acquired 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $435.58 per share, with a total value of $435,580.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $435,580. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Jeanne Linder Phillips sold 797 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $452.31, for a total transaction of $360,491.07. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 2,349 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,062,476.19. The trade was a 25.33% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 9.04% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Murphy USA

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. GW&K Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Murphy USA in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. TCTC Holdings LLC increased its holdings in Murphy USA by 116.7% in the first quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 65 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Murphy USA in the 1st quarter valued at $40,000. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Murphy USA during the fourth quarter valued at about $50,000. Finally, 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 worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. 80.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.