Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to Strong-Buy Rating

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Murphy USA from "buy" to "strong-buy", and several firms raised price targets (KeyCorp $600, Bank of America $550, Wells Fargo $520), leaving a MarketBeat average target near $503.71.
• Q1 beat and momentum: Murphy USA reported EPS of $7.28 versus $5.37 expected and revenue of $4.82B, with improved margins, continued buybacks/dividend, and the stock trading near its 52‑week high.
• Risks remain: Analyst opinions and targets are mixed and insiders sold about 10,919 shares (~$4.49M) in the last three months, posing potential governance or near‑term sentiment risk.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on MUSA. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Murphy USA from $450.00 to $520.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday. Bank of America raised Murphy USA from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and upped their price target for the company from $350.00 to $550.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. KeyCorp upped their price target on Murphy USA from $560.00 to $600.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Zacks Research raised Murphy USA from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Murphy USA in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $539.00 price target on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Murphy USA currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $503.71.

Murphy USA Stock Performance

MUSA stock opened at $595.84 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.24. The firm has a market cap of $11.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.60, a P/E/G ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.36. Murphy USA has a 12-month low of $345.23 and a 12-month high of $597.16. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $472.53 and its 200 day simple moving average is $422.92.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The specialty retailer reported $7.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.37 by $1.91. The business had revenue of $4.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.70 billion. Murphy USA had a return on equity of 91.05% and a net margin of 2.81%.The business's revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.63 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Murphy USA will post 29.66 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Murphy USA

In other Murphy USA news, SVP Eric J. Bartko sold 345 shares of the 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 sale, the senior vice president directly owned 352 shares of the company's stock, valued at $142,503.68. This trade represents a 49.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Scott G. Woodward sold 137 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $422.44, for a total value of $57,874.28. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 10,919 shares of company stock valued at $4,490,690 over the last three months. 9.02% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Murphy USA

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MUSA. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its position in Murphy USA by 82.4% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 62 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank increased its position in Murphy USA by 106.7% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 62 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 32 shares during the period. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Murphy USA in the third quarter worth $26,000. AlphaQuest LLC grew its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 317.6% in the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 71 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 423.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 68 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. 80.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Murphy USA News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results materially beat expectations — EPS of $7.28 vs. consensus ~$5.37, fuel contribution and merchandise margins both improved, and the company continued buybacks and a dividend; these operational beats are the primary driver of the rally. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and model raises: Zacks moved MUSA to a stronger recommendation and several shops (KeyCorp, Zacks team) have nudged EPS and longer-term estimates higher, supporting a higher valuation case. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum / market interest: coverage pieces note MUSA at a 52‑week high and classify it as a strong momentum/growth stock — that can attract momentum and quant flows. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinions and price targets are mixed — KeyCorp and some shops have $600+ targets while the median across recent reports is below the current price, producing both upside and tail‑risk narratives for different investors. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo set an "equal weight" stance and raised its target to $520 — still below the current market level — which could cap further upside from some institutional holders. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling has been heavy in recent months (multiple senior exec sales), which some investors view as a governance or near-term sentiment risk. Read More.

About Murphy USA

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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