Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Stock Price Down 10.2% After Analyst Downgrade

Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) shares traded down 10.2% on Thursday after Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on the stock from $467.00 to $445.00. Royal Bank Of Canada currently has a sector perform rating on the stock. Murphy USA traded as low as $397.80 and last traded at $399.2810. 417,109 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 41% from the average session volume of 295,458 shares. The stock had previously closed at $444.85.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $375.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Zacks Research upgraded Murphy USA from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Bank of America assumed coverage on Murphy USA in a report on Friday, January 9th. They issued an “underperform” rating for the company. KeyCorp set a $500.00 price target on Murphy USA in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Murphy USA in a report on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Murphy USA currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $463.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO R Andrew Clyde sold 16,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $381.33, for a total value of $6,196,612.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 59,172 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,564,058.76. This represents a 21.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Malynda K. West sold 4,051 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $425.00, for a total value of $1,721,675.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 117,389 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,890,325. This trade represents a 3.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 45,034 shares of company stock worth $17,349,722 in the last ninety days. 9.04% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Murphy USA News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Murphy USA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat — Murphy USA reported $7.53 EPS, topping consensus and showing year-over-year EPS growth, supporting profitability metrics and offsetting some concerns. Murphy USA (MUSA) Q4 Earnings Top Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Company release & guidance — Murphy USA filed its Q4 and full-year results and provided 2026 guidance in a Business Wire release; investors will focus on guidance detail and FY outlook from the call. Murphy USA Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter 2025 Results and 2026 Guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcript available — The full Q4 2025 earnings call transcript adds color on volumes, fuel margins and capital allocation; read management’s remarks for guidance on share buybacks/capex. Murphy USA Inc. (MUSA) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed estimates — Total revenue of $4.74B modestly missed Street estimates, highlighting weaker top-line momentum even as EPS beat on margin/expense benefits. Murphy USA Inc. (MUSA) Releases Q4 2025 Earnings: EPS Beat but Revenue Miss
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst cut — RBC lowered its price target to $445 and moved to “sector perform,” which reduces bullish analyst momentum and likely contributed to the stock weakness. MUSA: Murphy USA price target lowered by RBC
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling & balance-sheet notes — Recent disclosures show insider sales and higher total liabilities / lower cash versus prior year, which may concern investors focused on capital return and leverage. Murphy USA Inc. (MUSA) Releases Q4 2025 Earnings: EPS Beat but Revenue Miss

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Murphy USA

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its position in Murphy USA by 82.4% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 62 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Murphy USA in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 423.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 68 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Murphy USA in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, AlphaQuest LLC boosted its holdings in Murphy USA by 317.6% in the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 71 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the period. 80.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Murphy USA Price Performance

The business’s 50 day moving average is $414.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $393.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.07, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 0.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.44 billion, a PE ratio of 16.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.90 and a beta of 0.38.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The specialty retailer reported $7.53 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.67 by $0.86. The firm had revenue of $4.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.88 billion. Murphy USA had a return on equity of 75.34% and a net margin of 2.43%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $6.96 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Company Profile

Murphy USA is a leading downstream marketer of gasoline, diesel and convenience store products in the United States. Headquartered in El Dorado, Arkansas, the company was originally established as part of Murphy Oil Corporation and was spun off as an independent public entity in 2013. Since its separation, Murphy USA has focused on retail fueling services and convenience offerings designed to deliver value and convenience to consumers.

The company’s primary operations center on two retail formats.