Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the five research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $510.80.

Several brokerages recently commented on MUSA. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Murphy USA from $550.00 to $554.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. StockNews.com cut Murphy USA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 7th.

Murphy USA Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of MUSA stock opened at $459.66 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $9.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.99 and a beta of 0.79. Murphy USA has a one year low of $382.04 and a one year high of $561.08. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $491.32 and a 200 day moving average price of $504.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.37.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $6.96 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.46 by $0.50. Murphy USA had a return on equity of 61.60% and a net margin of 2.48%. Analysts predict that Murphy USA will post 26.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 24th. This is a boost from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.43%. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.10%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Murphy USA

In other news, Director Rosemary Turner sold 797 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.10, for a total value of $395,391.70. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 9.73% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Murphy USA

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy USA in the fourth quarter valued at $50,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 37.0% in the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 100 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its position in Murphy USA by 186.1% in the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 103 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in Murphy USA in the fourth quarter worth about $55,000. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Murphy USA in the fourth quarter worth about $64,000. 80.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.