Q1 EPS Estimates for Murphy USA Lifted by Zacks Research

Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) – Zacks Research upped their Q1 2026 EPS estimates for Murphy USA in a report issued on Wednesday, February 25th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the specialty retailer will post earnings of $2.86 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $2.81. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Murphy USA’s current full-year earnings is $26.45 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Murphy USA’s Q3 2026 earnings at $6.82 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $6.97 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $5.75 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $7.21 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $6.71 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $6.98 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $26.64 EPS.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The specialty retailer reported $7.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.67 by $0.86. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.43% and a return on equity of 75.75%. The business had revenue of $4.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.88 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $6.96 EPS. The company’s revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis.

A number of other research analysts have also commented on MUSA. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Murphy USA from $410.00 to $400.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 6th. KeyCorp set a $500.00 target price on Murphy USA in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on Murphy USA from $467.00 to $445.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Bank of America started coverage on shares of Murphy USA in a report on Friday, January 9th. They issued an “underperform” rating on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated 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 assigned a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $457.50.

Murphy USA Stock Performance

Murphy USA stock opened at $390.27 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.47. The firm has a market cap of $7.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.07, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.38. Murphy USA has a 1-year low of $345.23 and a 1-year high of $523.09. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $411.68 and a 200-day moving average of $392.79.

Murphy USA Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 23rd. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 10.38%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Eric J. Bartko sold 345 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $404.84, for a total value of $139,669.80. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 352 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $142,503.68. This represents a 49.50% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Keith A. Emery sold 899 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $382.53, for a total transaction of $343,894.47. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 14,833 shares of company stock worth $6,154,491. 9.04% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Murphy USA

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Barclays PLC increased its position in Murphy USA by 318.6% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 424,818 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $164,940,000 after buying an additional 323,331 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 149.9% in the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 507,418 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $204,753,000 after acquiring an additional 304,354 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Murphy USA during the second quarter valued at $93,967,000. Neuberger Berman Group LLC raised its position in shares of Murphy USA by 3,650.7% in the 2nd quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 180,858 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $73,573,000 after purchasing an additional 176,036 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its position in shares of Murphy USA by 676.7% in the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 170,215 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $69,243,000 after purchasing an additional 148,301 shares during the last quarter. 80.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More Murphy USA News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its Q2 2027 estimate sharply to $7.21 from $5.97, and nudged Q1 2026 to $2.86 from $2.81 — a sign of stronger expected results in those periods that could support short‑term earnings momentum.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks maintained a “Hold” rating on MUSA and left the consensus full‑year EPS context largely intact (Market consensus ~ $26.45), so analysts are cautious rather than bullish or bearish overall.
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider transaction: Renee Bacon sold 2,844 shares of MUSA. The sale is small relative to market cap and not flagged as company guidance—worth noting but not necessarily a material negative. Renee Bacon Sells 2,844 Shares of Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks trimmed several near‑term and medium‑term EPS forecasts: Q1 2027 cut sharply to $5.75 (from $7.01); Q3 2027 to $6.71 (from $6.91); Q4 2027 to $6.98 (from $7.25 previously on a related note); Q4 2026 to $6.97 (from $7.11); Q3 2026 to $6.82 (from $6.97); Q2 2026 to $7.31 (from $7.41); and lowered FY2026 and FY2027 (FY2027 to $26.64 from $27.14). These downward revisions signal weaker near‑term earnings expectations that could weigh on the stock if the company’s operations or macro pressures persist.

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.