Analysts Set Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) Target Price at $348.00

Shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) have earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the five ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $348.00.

MUSA has been the topic of a number of research reports. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $410.00 price objective on shares of Murphy USA in a report on Thursday, November 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on Murphy USA from $362.00 to $360.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Murphy USA from $252.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 26th. StockNews.com began coverage on Murphy USA in a research note on Thursday, October 5th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Murphy USA from $330.00 to $385.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, September 25th.

Murphy USA Stock Down 1.2 %

Shares of MUSA opened at $374.23 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12. Murphy USA has a 12-month low of $231.65 and a 12-month high of $382.04. The business’s 50 day moving average is $345.89 and its 200 day moving average is $313.60. The company has a market capitalization of $8.03 billion, a PE ratio of 15.78 and a beta of 0.75.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 1st. The specialty retailer reported $7.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.08 by $1.61. Murphy USA had a return on equity of 71.06% and a net margin of 2.40%. The company had revenue of $5.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.83 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $9.28 EPS. Murphy USA’s revenue was down 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Murphy USA will post 21.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 6th will be given a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 3rd. This is a positive change from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.44%. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6.91%.

Insider Transactions at Murphy USA

In related news, CEO R Andrew Clyde sold 18,971 shares of Murphy USA stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $314.40, for a total value of $5,964,482.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 226,473 shares in the company, valued at $71,203,111.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 70,115 shares of company stock valued at $21,942,168. 9.04% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Murphy USA

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MUSA. Pinebridge Investments L.P. increased its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 136.1% in the second quarter. Pinebridge Investments L.P. now owns 85 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 70.8% during the 2nd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 111 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Murphy USA during the 2nd quarter valued at $38,000. Mendota Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Murphy USA during the 1st quarter valued at $50,000. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its holdings in Murphy USA by 34.2% in the third quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 153 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.95% of the company’s stock.

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. It operates retail gasoline stores principally in the Southeast, Southwest, and Midwest United States. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in El Dorado, Arkansas.