Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Shares Cross Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• Technical breakout: Murphy USA shares climbed above their 200‑day moving average, trading as high as $513.85 compared with the 200‑day average of $415.89, suggesting bullish momentum.
• Mixed fundamentals: the company beat EPS expectations ($7.53 vs. $6.67) but missed revenue, has a $9.48B market cap and P/E of 21.1, and carries an average analyst rating of Hold with a $455.67 price target—below the recent price.
• Insider and institutional activity: insiders sold about 10,919 shares (~$4.49M) in the past 90 days (insiders own 9.02%), while institutional investors hold 80.81% of the stock.

Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report)'s stock price passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $415.89 and traded as high as $513.85. Murphy USA shares last traded at $512.2970, with a volume of 311,277 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on MUSA. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Murphy USA in a research report on Friday, January 9th. They issued an "underperform" rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Murphy USA in a report on Monday, December 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Murphy USA from $467.00 to $445.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on Murphy USA in a report on Thursday, March 26th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $539.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Stephens decreased their price objective on Murphy USA from $475.00 to $450.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Murphy USA presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $455.67.

Murphy USA Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $9.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.10, a P/E/G ratio of 3.36 and a beta of 0.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.47, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.36. The stock's 50 day moving average is $453.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $415.89.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last released its 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. The firm had revenue of $4.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.88 billion. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.43% and a return on equity of 75.75%. The business's quarterly revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $6.96 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Murphy USA Inc. will post 25.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 5th. Investors of record on Monday, February 23rd were issued a $0.63 dividend. 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 dividend payout ratio is currently 10.38%.

Insider Transactions at Murphy USA

In other Murphy USA news, SVP Keith A. Emery sold 899 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $382.53, for a total value of $343,894.47. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Malynda K. West sold 3,967 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $450.00, for a total value of $1,785,150.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 117,389 shares in the company, valued at $52,825,050. The trade was a 3.27% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 10,919 shares of company stock valued at $4,490,690. Corporate insiders own 9.02% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Murphy USA

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of MUSA. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in Murphy USA by 10.2% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,685 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $792,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Murphy USA by 423.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 68 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Murphy USA in the second quarter valued at approximately $603,000. Cerity Partners LLC bought a new stake in Murphy USA in the second quarter valued at approximately $596,000. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd bought a new stake in Murphy USA in the second quarter valued at approximately $227,000. Institutional investors own 80.81% of the company's stock.

Murphy USA Company Profile

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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