Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Hold" by the five analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has issued a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $510.80.
Several analysts have commented on MUSA shares. StockNews.com downgraded Murphy USA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 15th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Murphy USA from $550.00 to $554.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th.
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In other news, Director Rosemary Turner sold 797 shares of Murphy USA stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $496.10, for a total transaction of $395,391.70. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 9.04% of the company's stock.
Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vise Technologies Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Murphy USA during the 4th quarter valued at about $220,000. Voloridge Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Murphy USA by 6.2% during the 4th quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 74,910 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $37,586,000 after acquiring an additional 4,390 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its holdings in Murphy USA by 29.1% during the fourth quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 4,508 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $2,262,000 after purchasing an additional 1,015 shares in the last quarter. Recurrent Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Murphy USA by 20.9% in the fourth quarter. Recurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,390 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $697,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the period. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Murphy USA by 6.2% during the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 863 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $433,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.81% of the company's stock.
Murphy USA stock opened at $461.39 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $9.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.07 and a beta of 0.79. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $497.77 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $505.46. Murphy USA has a 12 month low of $382.04 and a 12 month high of $561.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18.
Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $6.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Murphy USA will post 26.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be given a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.42%. This is a boost from Murphy USA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 24th. Murphy USA's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.93%.
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.
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