Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The specialty retailer reported $7.53 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.39 by $1.14, FiscalAI reports. Murphy USA had a return on equity of 69.87% and a net margin of 2.43%.The business had revenue of $4.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.88 billion.

Murphy USA Price Performance

MUSA stock traded up $9.05 on Wednesday, reaching $443.89. The company had a trading volume of 701,079 shares, compared to its average volume of 292,542. Murphy USA has a 1 year low of $345.23 and a 1 year high of $523.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.07, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 0.81. The company’s fifty day moving average is $413.24 and its 200 day moving average is $393.32. The company has a market cap of $8.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.72, a PEG ratio of 3.75 and a beta of 0.38.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on MUSA shares. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $375.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Bank of America started coverage on shares of Murphy USA in a research note on Friday, January 9th. They issued an “underperform” rating for the company. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Murphy USA from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Stephens increased their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $425.00 to $475.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Murphy USA in a research note on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $460.33.

Insider Buying and Selling at Murphy USA

In related news, CEO Malynda K. West sold 4,051 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $425.00, for a total value of $1,721,675.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 117,389 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,890,325. The trade was a 3.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO R Andrew Clyde sold 24,733 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $381.33, for a total transaction of $9,431,434.89. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 131,024 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,963,381.92. This represents a 15.88% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 45,034 shares of company stock valued at $17,349,722 in the last three months. 9.04% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Murphy USA

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in Murphy USA by 10.2% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,685 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $792,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 423.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 68 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Murphy USA in the 2nd quarter worth $603,000. Cerity Partners LLC acquired a new position in Murphy USA in the second quarter valued at $596,000. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd purchased a new stake in Murphy USA during the second quarter valued at about $227,000. 80.81% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.