River Road Asset Management LLC Sells 38,937 Shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA)

River Road Asset Management LLC reduced its position in shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Free Report) by 9.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 390,058 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 38,937 shares during the period. Murphy USA makes up approximately 1.9% of River Road Asset Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. River Road Asset Management LLC owned about 1.83% of Murphy USA worth $139,079,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MUSA. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in Murphy USA by 191.7% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 70 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Murphy USA in the fourth quarter valued at about $44,000. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holdings in Murphy USA by 34.2% in the third quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 153 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. increased its holdings in Murphy USA by 42.6% in the third quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. now owns 174 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $59,000 after buying an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Covington Capital Management purchased a new position in Murphy USA in the third quarter valued at about $61,000. 80.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Murphy USA Price Performance

Shares of MUSA traded up $3.50 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $421.11. 336,479 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 206,633. The company has a quick ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.15. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $411.29 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $380.26. Murphy USA Inc. has a 52-week low of $265.49 and a 52-week high of $430.83. The company has a market cap of $8.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.51 and a beta of 0.76.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The specialty retailer reported $7.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $5.79 by $1.21. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 70.92%. The firm had revenue of $5.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.32 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $5.21 earnings per share. Murphy USA's revenue was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 7th. Investors of record on Monday, February 26th were given a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 23rd. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.40%. This is a positive change from Murphy USA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. Murphy USA's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6.59%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $470.00 target price on shares of Murphy USA in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $395.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 9th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Murphy USA from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their target price for the company from $375.00 to $425.00 in a report on Thursday, January 4th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Murphy USA from $382.00 to $408.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $404.60.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Murphy USA news, VP Donald R. Smith, Jr. sold 1,235 shares of Murphy USA stock in a transaction on Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $407.96, for a total value of $503,830.60. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 21,564 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,797,249.44. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, SVP Christopher A. Click sold 664 shares of Murphy USA stock in a transaction on Monday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $415.55, for a total transaction of $275,925.20. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 2,413 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,002,722.15. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Donald R. Smith, Jr. sold 1,235 shares of Murphy USA stock in a transaction on Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $407.96, for a total transaction of $503,830.60. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 21,564 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,797,249.44. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 10,440 shares of company stock worth $4,244,582. 9.73% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.