Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Trading 5.3% Higher - What's Next?

Shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) shot up 5.3% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $406.67 and last traded at $408.98. 224,149 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 2% from the average session volume of 219,402 shares. The stock had previously closed at $388.56.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on MUSA. Raymond James Financial downgraded Murphy USA from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Stephens dropped their target price on Murphy USA from $530.00 to $475.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 9th. KeyCorp cut their target price on Murphy USA from $550.00 to $525.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Murphy USA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Melius Research raised Murphy USA to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $526.29.

Murphy USA Trading Down 0.2%

The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $455.58 and a 200 day simple moving average of $475.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.74, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.80. The firm has a market cap of $8.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.14 and a beta of 0.50.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The specialty retailer reported $2.63 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.87 by ($1.24). Murphy USA had a return on equity of 61.19% and a net margin of 2.46%. The business had revenue of $4.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.79 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.12 earnings per share. Murphy USA's quarterly revenue was down 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th were paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 12th. This is a positive change from Murphy USA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.49%. Murphy USA's payout ratio is currently 8.44%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director David C. Haley bought 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $435.58 per share, with a total value of $435,580.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $435,580. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 9.04% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Murphy USA

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. GW&K Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Murphy USA during the first quarter valued at $27,000. TCTC Holdings LLC grew its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 116.7% during the 1st quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 65 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the period. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the 1st quarter valued at about $40,000. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the 1st quarter valued at about $47,000. Finally, WPG Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Murphy USA in the 1st quarter worth approximately $48,000. 80.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.