Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Shares Up 5.4% - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Shares of Murphy USA jumped 5.4% to $440.91 on Friday (intraday high $441.92) on lighter-than-normal volume of about 201,649 shares, down roughly 41% from the daily average.
• The company beat EPS estimates ($7.53 vs. $6.67) but missed revenue expectations ($4.74B vs. $4.88B); the quarter showed a very high ROE (75.75%) alongside a thin net margin (2.43%).
• Analysts' consensus is a Hold with a $457.50 average price target; Murphy USA pays a $0.63 quarterly dividend (0.6% yield), insiders have been net sellers recently, and the firm has a high debt-to-equity ratio (3.47).

Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) shares rose 5.4% on Friday . The company traded as high as $441.92 and last traded at $440.91. Approximately 201,649 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 41% from the average daily volume of 343,810 shares. The stock had previously closed at $418.19.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on MUSA shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Murphy USA in a report on Monday, December 29th. Stephens cut their target price on Murphy USA from $475.00 to $450.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on Murphy USA from $467.00 to $445.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 5th. KeyCorp set a $500.00 price target on Murphy USA in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Murphy USA from $410.00 to $400.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $457.50.

Murphy USA Stock Up 5.0%

The business has a 50-day moving average of $411.87 and a 200 day moving average of $393.35. The company has a market capitalization of $8.14 billion, a PE ratio of 18.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.47, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.36.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The specialty retailer reported $7.53 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.67 by $0.86. The business had revenue of $4.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.88 billion. Murphy USA had a return on equity of 75.75% and a net margin of 2.43%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $6.96 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Murphy USA Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 23rd were given a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 23rd. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Murphy USA's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.38%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Malynda K. West sold 4,051 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $425.00, for a total value of $1,721,675.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 117,389 shares in the company, valued at $49,890,325. The trade was a 3.34% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Eric J. Bartko sold 345 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $404.84, for a total transaction of $139,669.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 352 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $142,503.68. The trade was a 49.50% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 14,833 shares of company stock worth $6,154,491. Insiders own 9.04% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Murphy USA

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its position in Murphy USA by 10.2% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,685 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $792,000 after acquiring an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can grew its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 2,283.8% in the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 69,797 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $28,393,000 after purchasing an additional 66,869 shares during the last quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. bought a new position in shares of Murphy USA in the second quarter worth about $87,000. Convergence Financial LLC purchased a new position in Murphy USA in the 2nd quarter worth about $355,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Murphy USA by 1,925.0% during the 2nd quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 81 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. 80.81% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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