Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Stock Price Down 4.4% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Murphy USA's stock price decreased by 4.4% to $380.44, with trading volume down 17% compared to average levels.
• Analysts have varied opinions on the stock, with Zacks upgrading it to "hold," while Jefferies downgraded it to "hold" with a price target of $350.00.
• The company has recently increased its quarterly dividend to $0.53 per share, reflecting a commitment to returning value to shareholders despite revenue challenges.

Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) fell 4.4% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $380.48 and last traded at $380.44. 245,715 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 17% from the average session volume of 295,293 shares. The stock had previously closed at $398.00.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. KeyCorp restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $480.00 target price on shares of Murphy USA in a report on Friday, September 5th. Zacks Research raised Murphy USA from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Murphy USA from $520.00 to $440.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut Murphy USA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $350.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Friday, August 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $483.17.

Murphy USA Stock Down 0.3%

The stock has a market capitalization of $7.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.86 and a beta of 0.44. The company's 50-day moving average price is $391.22 and its 200 day moving average price is $430.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.20, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.80.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 30th. The specialty retailer reported $7.36 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.82 by $0.54. The firm had revenue of $5.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.17 billion. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.52% and a return on equity of 64.63%. The company's revenue was down 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $6.92 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 4th. Investors of record on Monday, August 25th were paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 25th. This is a positive change from Murphy USA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Murphy USA's dividend payout ratio is 8.78%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Murphy USA

In other Murphy USA news, COO Malynda K. West sold 1,859 shares of Murphy USA stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $386.22, for a total value of $717,982.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 117,389 shares of the company's stock, valued at $45,337,979.58. This trade represents a 1.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Robert Madison Murphy acquired 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 5th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $367.01 per share, with a total value of $1,835,050.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 389,172 shares in the company, valued at approximately $142,830,015.72. This represents a 1.30% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 10.12% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Murphy USA

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MUSA. Man Group plc grew its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 25.1% in the 4th quarter. Man Group plc now owns 2,128 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,068,000 after buying an additional 427 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 863 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $433,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 29.1% in the 4th quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 4,508 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $2,262,000 after acquiring an additional 1,015 shares during the last quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. bought a new stake in Murphy USA during the 4th quarter valued at about $220,000. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its holdings in Murphy USA by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 19,060 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $9,563,000 after buying an additional 363 shares in the last quarter. 80.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.