Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Stock: Insider Robert Madison Murphy Sells 1,000 Shares

Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) Director Robert Murphy sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $624.34, for a total value of $624,340.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 39,379 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $24,585,884.86. This trade represents a 2.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Murphy USA Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of MUSA stock traded down $7.13 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $502.21. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 365,274 shares, compared to its average volume of 315,107. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.73. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $522.63 and its 200 day simple moving average is $515.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.31. Murphy USA Inc. has a one year low of $352.42 and a one year high of $636.04.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 28th. The specialty retailer reported $9.59 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.37 by $1.22. Murphy USA had a return on equity of 92.81% and a net margin of 2.85%. The business had revenue of $6.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.25 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $7.25 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 34.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Murphy USA Inc. will post 35.24 EPS for the current year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.72 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 4th. This is an increase from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.29%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on MUSA. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $600.00 to $625.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on Murphy USA from $612.00 to $621.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Murphy USA from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 21st. Wall Street Zen lowered Murphy USA from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Murphy USA from $633.00 to $626.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Murphy USA presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $606.33.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Murphy USA

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Fulcrum Asset Management LLP purchased a new position in Murphy USA in the third quarter valued at approximately $71,000. Verus Capital Partners LLC grew its position in Murphy USA by 27.7% during the third quarter. Verus Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,130 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $570,000 after buying an additional 245 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its stake in Murphy USA by 14.4% in the 3rd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 191 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $96,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Murphy USA in the 3rd quarter worth about $238,000. Finally, TrinityBridge Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy USA in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,773,000. 80.81% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Murphy USA

Murphy USA Inc is a U.S. operator of retail fuel and convenience stores. The company sells gasoline and diesel fuel along with tobacco products, packaged beverages, snacks, candy, grocery items, general merchandise and other convenience products. Many locations also offer prepared food and related services.

The company operates stores under the Murphy USA and Murphy Express brands, with a network concentrated primarily in the Southern, Southeastern and Midwestern United States. Murphy USA locations are commonly situated near Walmart stores, while Murphy Express sites generally operate as standalone convenience stores.