Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Murphy USA’s FY2025 earnings at $23.21 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $3.33 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $7.60 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $25.38 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $3.06 EPS and Q2 2027 earnings at $8.89 EPS.

Several other analysts also recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Murphy USA from $520.00 to $440.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Stephens cut their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $530.00 to $475.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 9th. Raymond James Financial lowered shares of Murphy USA from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Murphy USA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, KeyCorp reduced their target price on Murphy USA from $500.00 to $480.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $476.29.

Murphy USA Stock Down 1.7%

Murphy USA stock opened at $377.8730 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.65 and a beta of 0.42. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $404.42 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $444.10. Murphy USA has a 1-year low of $345.23 and a 1-year high of $561.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.20.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The specialty retailer reported $7.36 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.82 by $0.54. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.52% and a return on equity of 64.63%. The company had revenue of $5.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.17 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $6.92 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Murphy USA will post 26.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 25th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 25th. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio is currently 8.28%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director David C. Haley purchased 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was bought at an average price of $435.58 per share, for a total transaction of $435,580.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 1,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $435,580. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Robert Madison Murphy acquired 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 5th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $367.01 per share, with a total value of $1,835,050.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 389,172 shares in the company, valued at $142,830,015.72. The trade was a 1.30% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 9.04% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Murphy USA

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. MML Investors Services LLC raised its position in shares of Murphy USA by 10.3% in the fourth quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 8,071 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $4,050,000 after purchasing an additional 753 shares during the period. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. grew its stake in Murphy USA by 21.2% in the 4th quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 326 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $163,000 after buying an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC purchased a new position in Murphy USA in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,800,000. Pinebridge Investments L.P. raised its holdings in Murphy USA by 42.7% during the 4th quarter. Pinebridge Investments L.P. now owns 6,180 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $3,101,000 after acquiring an additional 1,849 shares during the period. Finally, Boothbay Fund Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the fourth quarter worth $400,000. Institutional investors own 80.81% 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, as well as operates non-fuel convenience stores. It operates retail gasoline stores principally in the Southeast, Southwest, and Midwest United States.