Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Upgraded by Stephens to Strong-Buy Rating

Stephens upgraded shares of Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Free Report) to a strong-buy rating in a research note released on Monday, April 7th,Zacks.com reports.

MUSA has been the subject of a number of other reports. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com cut Murphy USA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on Murphy USA from $550.00 to $554.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Melius Research raised Murphy USA to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Melius initiated coverage on Murphy USA in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. They set a "buy" rating and a $600.00 target price for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $539.00.

Murphy USA Stock Down 0.5 %

MUSA traded down $2.65 during trading on Monday, reaching $511.27. 152,412 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 204,242. The stock has a market cap of $10.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.13 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 0.79. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $468.08 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $492.46. Murphy USA has a twelve month low of $382.04 and a twelve month high of $561.08.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $6.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. Equities analysts expect that Murphy USA will post 26.45 EPS for the current year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 5th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th were paid a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. This is a positive change from Murphy USA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.38%. Murphy USA's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 8.10%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Jeanne Linder Phillips sold 797 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $452.31, for a total transaction of $360,491.07. Following the sale, the director now owns 2,349 shares in the company, valued at $1,062,476.19. The trade was a 25.33 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CMO Renee M. Bacon sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $469.58, for a total value of $939,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer now owns 5,927 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,783,200.66. This represents a 25.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 3,594 shares of company stock valued at $1,695,043. 9.04% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Murphy USA

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MUSA. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. acquired a new stake in Murphy USA in the fourth quarter valued at $50,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its position in shares of Murphy USA by 37.0% during the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 100 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 186.1% in the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 103 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Murphy USA in the fourth quarter worth approximately $55,000. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Murphy USA in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $64,000. 80.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.