Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Coverage Initiated at KeyCorp

Equities researchers at KeyCorp initiated coverage on shares of Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) in a report issued on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm set an "overweight" rating and a $550.00 price target on the specialty retailer's stock. KeyCorp's target price indicates a potential upside of 8.87% from the company's current price.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on MUSA. Melius began coverage on Murphy USA in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. They set a "buy" rating and a $600.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Stephens raised shares of Murphy USA to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 7th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Murphy USA from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Melius Research upgraded Murphy USA to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Murphy USA has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $539.00.

Murphy USA Price Performance

Shares of Murphy USA stock traded down $6.35 during trading on Friday, hitting $505.17. 79,589 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 204,776. Murphy USA has a fifty-two week low of $382.04 and a fifty-two week high of $561.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $468.42 and a 200 day moving average price of $492.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.87 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 earnings per share (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, equities analysts expect that Murphy USA will post 26.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CMO Renee M. Bacon sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,783,200.66. This trade represents a 25.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Rosemary Turner sold 797 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.10, for a total transaction of $395,391.70. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 3,594 shares of company stock worth $1,695,043. Company insiders own 9.04% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Murphy USA

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. acquired a new position in Murphy USA in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $50,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its position 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 purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its stake in Murphy USA by 186.1% during 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 in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in Murphy USA in the 4th quarter valued at $55,000. Finally, CX Institutional acquired a new position in shares of Murphy USA in the 1st quarter valued at $59,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.81% of the company's stock.

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.