VELA Investment Management LLC lessened its position in shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA – Free Report) by 18.2% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 9,760 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 2,172 shares during the quarter. Murphy USA accounts for approximately 1.1% of VELA Investment Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest holding. VELA Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Murphy USA were worth $5,259,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Huntington National Bank lifted its position in Murphy USA by 106.7% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 62 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Murphy USA by 423.1% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 68 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Murphy USA in the 2nd quarter valued at $37,000. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 82.5% in the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 73 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Murphy USA in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. 80.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Murphy USA Trading Down 0.0%
Shares of Murphy USA stock opened at $511.16 on Monday. Murphy USA Inc. has a 12-month low of $349.83 and a 12-month high of $636.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $571.37 and a 200 day simple moving average of $529.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.77.
Murphy USA Increases Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 24th were issued a dividend of $0.65 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 24th. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. This is a positive change from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.64. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.92%.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other news, SVP Eric J. Bartko sold 100 shares of Murphy USA stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $523.60, for a total value of $52,360.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 252 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $131,947.20. This trade represents a 28.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Rosemary Turner sold 966 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $571.88, for a total value of $552,436.08. Following the sale, the director owned 449 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $256,774.12. The trade was a 68.27% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 9.02% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several brokerages have recently weighed in on MUSA. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $520.00 to $570.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Murphy USA from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $550.00 to $625.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Murphy USA from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 27th. Zacks Research downgraded Murphy USA from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Capital One Financial assumed coverage on Murphy USA in a report on Monday, June 22nd. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $710.00 target price for the company. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Murphy USA presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $606.89.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on MUSA
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.
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