Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Stock Rating Lowered by StockNews.com

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) was downgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Friday.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $550.00 to $554.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Melius Research upgraded shares of Murphy USA to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Melius started coverage on shares of Murphy USA in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. They set a “buy” rating and a $600.00 price target for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $525.67.

Murphy USA Trading Up 0.4 %

NYSE:MUSA opened at $440.45 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 0.79. The firm has a market cap of $8.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.20 and a beta of 0.80. Murphy USA has a 52 week low of $382.04 and a 52 week high of $561.08. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $474.38 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $497.29.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $6.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.46 by $0.50. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.48% and a return on equity of 61.60%. On average, equities analysts expect that Murphy USA will post 26.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Murphy USA news, Director Rosemary Turner sold 797 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $496.10, for a total value of $395,391.70. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CMO Renee M. Bacon sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $469.58, for a total transaction of $939,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 5,927 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,783,200.66. The trade was a 25.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 3,594 shares of company stock valued at $1,695,043. Company insiders own 9.04% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. bought a new position in Murphy USA in the 4th quarter valued at $50,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its position in shares of Murphy USA by 37.0% during the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 100 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its position in shares of Murphy USA by 186.1% during the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 103 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the 4th quarter valued at $55,000. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the 4th quarter valued at $64,000. 80.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Murphy USA

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.