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

Shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the five ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $509.40.

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Murphy USA from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered Murphy USA from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $415.00 to $435.00 in a research note on Thursday, September 19th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its position in Murphy USA by 40.4% in the 3rd quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 73 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 348.4% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 139 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $70,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Key Financial Inc lifted its position in Murphy USA by 942.9% during the 3rd quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 146 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $72,000 after buying an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Murphy USA by 82.1% during the 2nd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 173 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $81,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in Murphy USA by 135.4% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 186 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $94,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. 80.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Murphy USA Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MUSA opened at $491.89 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.96 billion, a PE ratio of 20.29 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.19. Murphy USA has a 1-year low of $350.55 and a 1-year high of $561.08. The business’s 50 day moving average is $522.54 and its 200-day moving average is $504.94.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The specialty retailer reported $7.20 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.64 by $0.56. The firm had revenue of $5.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.54 billion. Murphy USA had a return on equity of 62.73% and a net margin of 2.48%. Murphy USA’s quarterly revenue was down 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $7.69 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Murphy USA will post 23.59 earnings per share for the current year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 4th were paid a dividend of $0.48 per share. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.39%. This is a boost from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 4th. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.92%.

Murphy USA Company Profile

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.