Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA – Free Report) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report issued on Sunday,Wall Street Zen reports.
Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded Murphy USA from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Murphy USA from $520.00 to $570.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Jefferies Financial Group raised Murphy USA from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $550.00 to $625.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Capital One Financial started coverage on Murphy USA in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $710.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Bank of America upped their target price on Murphy USA from $600.00 to $625.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $606.89.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on MUSA
Murphy USA Stock Down 0.5%
Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The specialty retailer reported $11.27 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.95 by $1.32. The firm had revenue of $6.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.03 billion. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.87% and a return on equity of 96.01%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 36.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $7.36 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Murphy USA will post 34.75 earnings per share for the current year.
Murphy USA Increases Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 24th were given a dividend of $0.65 per share. This is a boost from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.64. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 24th. This represents a $2.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Murphy USA’s payout ratio is 7.92%.
Insider Activity
In related news, SVP Eric Bartko sold 100 shares of Murphy USA stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the senior vice president owned 252 shares in the company, valued at $131,947.20. The trade was a 28.41% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Rosemary Turner sold 966 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $571.88, for a total value of $552,436.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 449 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $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 owned by insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 826 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $416,000 after buying an additional 21 shares during the period. RHS Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Murphy USA in the 3rd quarter valued at $226,000. Wedmont Private Capital grew its stake in Murphy USA by 11.3% in the 3rd quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 2,294 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,189,000 after acquiring an additional 232 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in Murphy USA by 6.5% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,730 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $872,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the period. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Murphy USA by 24.3% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 685 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $345,000 after acquiring an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. 80.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Murphy USA Company Profile
Murphy USA Inc operates a nationwide network of retail gasoline stations and convenience stores in the United States. Its stores sell branded and unbranded motor fuel, tobacco products, nicotine products, beverages, snacks, packaged food, and other convenience items. Some locations also offer additional services such as lottery products and car washes.
The company operates stores under the Murphy USA and Murphy Express brands, primarily in proximity to Walmart stores and along major roads.
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