Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) Shares Sold by State of Alaska Department of Revenue

State of Alaska Department of Revenue lowered its position in Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) by 10.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,095 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 245 shares during the quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue’s holdings in Murphy USA were worth $746,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Murphy USA in the 4th quarter worth $44,000. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 34.2% in the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 153 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 42.6% in the 3rd quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. now owns 174 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Covington Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy USA in the 3rd quarter valued at about $61,000. Finally, Harbor Investment Advisory LLC raised its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 26.1% in the 3rd quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 275 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $94,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.81% of the company’s stock.

Murphy USA Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MUSA opened at $412.93 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.15. Murphy USA Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $256.93 and a fifty-two week high of $430.83. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $405.79 and a 200 day simple moving average of $377.74. The company has a market cap of $8.59 billion, a PE ratio of 16.19 and a beta of 0.76.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The specialty retailer reported $7.00 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.79 by $1.21. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 70.92%. The firm had revenue of $5.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.32 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $5.21 EPS. Murphy USA’s quarterly revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.35 EPS for the current year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 7th. Investors of record on Monday, February 26th were issued a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.41%. This is a positive change from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 23rd. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio is 6.59%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MUSA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $470.00 target price on shares of Murphy USA in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Murphy USA from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the company from $375.00 to $425.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 4th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $382.00 to $408.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $395.00 to $440.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Murphy USA currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $404.60.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Jeanne Linder Phillips sold 1,525 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $411.42, for a total value of $627,415.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,670 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,098,491.40. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In related news, SVP Christopher A. Click sold 664 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $415.55, for a total value of $275,925.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,413 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,002,722.15. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Jeanne Linder Phillips sold 1,525 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $411.42, for a total value of $627,415.50. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,670 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,098,491.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 10,440 shares of company stock valued at $4,244,582 in the last three months. 9.73% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Murphy USA 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.