Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded Murphy USA to a "Strong Buy" and raised multiple near‑term and FY2027 EPS forecasts, reflecting upgraded earnings expectations for the company.
• Murphy USA's Q1 results materially beat estimates — EPS of $7.28 vs. consensus $5.37 and revenue of $4.82B vs. $4.45B — driven by stronger fuel margins and improved same‑store trends.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive but mixed: several firms raised targets (e.g., KeyCorp $600, JPMorgan $539) while the MarketBeat consensus is a Moderate Buy with a price target of $483.43.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Murphy USA's Q2 2026 earnings at $7.44 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $6.83 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $7.07 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $7.22 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $5.95 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $5.91 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $7.32 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $7.37 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $6.84 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $7.25 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $7.33 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $27.33 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $27.55 EPS and Q1 2028 earnings at $6.30 EPS.

A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Murphy USA from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. KeyCorp increased their price target on Murphy USA from $560.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Murphy USA from $400.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on Murphy USA from $467.00 to $445.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Murphy USA in a report on Thursday, March 26th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $539.00 price target for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Murphy USA has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $483.43.

Murphy USA Stock Performance

Shares of MUSA opened at $516.82 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.47. The firm has a market cap of $9.56 billion, a PE ratio of 21.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.23. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $468.69 and its 200-day simple moving average is $421.76. Murphy USA has a 12-month low of $345.23 and a 12-month high of $539.71.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The specialty retailer reported $7.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $5.37 by $1.91. The business had revenue of $4.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.45 billion. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.43% and a return on equity of 75.75%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.63 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Murphy USA will post 27.66 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Murphy USA news, SVP Eric J. Bartko sold 345 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $404.84, for a total value of $139,669.80. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 352 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $142,503.68. This trade represents a 49.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Scott G. Woodward sold 137 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $422.44, for a total value of $57,874.28. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 10,919 shares of company stock valued at $4,490,690 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 9.02% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Murphy USA

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 10.2% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,685 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $792,000 after buying an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 423.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 68 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Murphy USA during the 2nd quarter worth $603,000. Cerity Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Murphy USA during the 2nd quarter worth $596,000. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Murphy USA during the 2nd quarter worth $227,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.81% of the company's stock.

Murphy USA News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Murphy USA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results materially beat expectations — EPS $7.28 vs. consensus $5.37 and revenue $4.82B vs. $4.45B; net income and fuel contribution (35.0 cpg vs. 25.4 cpg year-ago) rose sharply, showing stronger margins and same-store trends for the quarter. BusinessWire Q1 Release
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and estimate lifts: Zacks has raised multiple quarterly and FY2027 EPS forecasts and added MUSA to its Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), reflecting upward revisions to near-term earnings power. (Zacks coverage also published post‑earnings commentary on key metrics.) Zacks Q1 Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call prepared remarks/transcript released — provides management color on fuel margins, merchandising, and buyback/dividend posture; useful for investors digging beyond headline beats but not an immediate price catalyst on its own. Seeking Alpha Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: One outlet reported an increase in a published price target (to 496.83); that target sits below the current share price and may be read as less relevant for immediate upside. MSN Price Target Note
• Negative Sentiment: KeyCorp issued mixed revisions: it trimmed its Q4 2026 EPS estimate slightly (a modest near-term cut) even while keeping an Overweight rating and raising FY2027 estimates — the mixed messaging can sap near-term investor conviction. (Covered in analyst notes around the earnings period.)

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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