Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the ten research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $474.00.

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Murphy USA from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on Murphy USA in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $405.00 price target for the company. KeyCorp cut their price objective on shares of Murphy USA from $480.00 to $460.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Murphy USA in a research report on Monday.

Murphy USA Price Performance

MUSA opened at $409.27 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.67 billion, a PE ratio of 17.26 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.07, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.40. The business’s 50-day moving average is $379.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $392.08. Murphy USA has a 1 year low of $345.23 and a 1 year high of $542.76.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The specialty retailer reported $7.25 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.60 by $0.65. The firm had revenue of $5.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.11 billion. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.43% and a return on equity of 69.87%. Murphy USA’s revenue was down 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $7.20 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Murphy USA will post 26.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 10th were issued a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 10th. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio is presently 10.63%.

Insider Transactions at Murphy USA

In other Murphy USA news, CEO R Andrew Clyde sold 24,733 shares of Murphy USA stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $381.33, for a total transaction of $9,431,434.89. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 131,024 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,963,381.92. The trade was a 15.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 9.04% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Murphy USA

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of MUSA. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Murphy USA during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. AlphaQuest LLC raised its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 317.6% during the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 71 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Murphy USA by 423.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 68 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Murphy USA during the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Murphy USA by 1,925.0% during the 2nd quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 81 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.81% of the company’s stock.

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.