Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Reaches New 1-Year Low - Here's Why

Key Points

• Murphy USA shares hit a new 52-week low of $380.51, with a recent trading price of $382.28, marking a decline from a previous close of $408.03.
• Several research firms have downgraded Murphy USA's ratings, with Raymond James and Wall Street Zen both lowering their ratings recently, while the average price target remains at $519.86.
• Despite the stock's poor performance, the company reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $7.36, exceeding analyst estimates, but its revenue fell short of expectations, posting down 8.2% year-over-year.

Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $380.51 and last traded at $382.28, with a volume of 385820 shares. The stock had previously closed at $408.03.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on MUSA. Raymond James Financial lowered Murphy USA from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. KeyCorp reduced their price objective on shares of Murphy USA from $500.00 to $480.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Stephens decreased their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $530.00 to $475.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Murphy USA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Murphy USA has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $519.86.

Murphy USA Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.74. The firm has a market cap of $7.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.30 and a beta of 0.48. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $420.71 and a 200-day simple moving average of $457.21.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The specialty retailer reported $7.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.82 by $0.54. The company had revenue of $5.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.17 billion. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.46% and a return on equity of 61.19%. Murphy USA's revenue was down 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $6.92 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director David C. Haley acquired 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was bought at an average price of $435.58 per share, with a total value of $435,580.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 1,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $435,580. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 9.04% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Murphy USA

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MUSA. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 53,469.2% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 553,906 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $260,231,000 after purchasing an additional 552,872 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Murphy USA in the 4th quarter worth approximately $112,741,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 94.0% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 371,667 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $174,613,000 after acquiring an additional 180,055 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its position in shares of Murphy USA by 902.2% during the 1st quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 153,202 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $71,976,000 after acquiring an additional 137,915 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 2,594.2% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 142,038 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $66,731,000 after purchasing an additional 136,766 shares in the last quarter. 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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