Robert Madison Murphy Purchases 5,000 Shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) Stock

Key Points

• Robert Madison Murphy, a director at Murphy USA Inc., bought 5,000 shares of the company's stock for a total of $1,835,050, increasing his ownership to 389,172 shares valued at approximately $142.8 million.
• Murphy USA's stock rose by 1.5%, trading at $367.36 with trading volume below its average, while the company reported a net margin of 2.52% and a return on equity of 64.63% for the last quarter.
• Wall Street analysts have mixed ratings on Murphy USA, with target prices being reduced; the average rating is a "Moderate Buy" with a target price of $476.29.

Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) Director Robert Madison Murphy acquired 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 5th. The shares were bought at an average price of $367.01 per share, with a total value of $1,835,050.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 389,172 shares of the company's stock, valued at $142,830,015.72. The trade was a 1.30% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Murphy USA Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of NYSE:MUSA traded up $5.53 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $367.36. The company's stock had a trading volume of 294,611 shares, compared to its average volume of 373,924. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $413.88 and a 200-day moving average of $453.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.21 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.20. Murphy USA Inc. has a 12-month low of $345.23 and a 12-month high of $561.08.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The specialty retailer reported $7.36 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.82 by $0.54. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.52% and a return on equity of 64.63%. The firm had revenue of $5.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $6.92 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Murphy USA

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. LPL Financial LLC lifted its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 39.3% during the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 12,364 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $6,204,000 after buying an additional 3,486 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in shares of Murphy USA by 9.7% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 8,539 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $4,284,000 after purchasing an additional 755 shares in the last quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the fourth quarter worth about $1,780,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Murphy USA by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 116,444 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $58,426,000 after purchasing an additional 3,944 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its holdings in Murphy USA by 122.0% during the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 14,560 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $7,306,000 after buying an additional 8,001 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.81% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MUSA has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Stephens decreased their price objective on shares of Murphy USA from $530.00 to $475.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 9th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Murphy USA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $350.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Friday, August 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Murphy USA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. KeyCorp decreased their price objective on shares of Murphy USA from $500.00 to $480.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $520.00 to $440.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $476.29.

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.

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