Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Coverage Initiated at Melius

Melius began coverage on shares of Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat reports. The firm issued a buy rating and a $600.00 target price on the specialty retailer’s stock.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on the company. StockNews.com lowered Murphy USA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 15th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $550.00 to $554.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Murphy USA presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $525.67.

Murphy USA Stock Performance

MUSA opened at $469.68 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18. The company has a market cap of $9.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.41 and a beta of 0.80. Murphy USA has a 52-week low of $382.04 and a 52-week high of $561.08. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $483.29 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $501.48.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $6.96 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.46 by $0.50. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.48% and a return on equity of 61.60%. Equities 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.42%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. This is a positive change from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. Murphy USA’s payout ratio is currently 8.10%.

Insider Transactions at Murphy USA

In other news, Director Jeanne Linder Phillips sold 797 shares of Murphy USA stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $452.31, for a total transaction of $360,491.07. Following the sale, the director now owns 2,349 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,062,476.19. The trade was a 25.33 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CMO Renee M. Bacon sold 2,000 shares of Murphy USA stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $469.58, for a total value of $939,160.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer now owns 5,927 shares in the company, valued at $2,783,200.66. This represents a 25.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 3,594 shares of company stock worth $1,695,043 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 9.04% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Murphy USA

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Atria Investments Inc raised its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 17.0% in the 3rd quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 1,669 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $823,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares during the period. Apollon Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 6.8% in the 3rd quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,345 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,156,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares during the period. Meridian Management Co. raised its position in Murphy USA by 2.1% in the third quarter. Meridian Management Co. now owns 2,452 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,209,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Arcus Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Murphy USA in the third quarter valued at approximately $256,000. Finally, Verus Capital Partners LLC raised its position in Murphy USA by 5.9% in the third quarter. Verus Capital Partners LLC now owns 861 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $424,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. 80.81% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.