Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Stock: Insider David Goebel Sells 1,000 Shares

Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) Director David Goebel sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $511.36, for a total value of $511,360.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 796 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $407,042.56. The trade was a 55.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Murphy USA Price Performance

Shares of Murphy USA stock opened at $502.21 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.09 billion, a PE ratio of 14.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.73. Murphy USA Inc. has a 12 month low of $352.42 and a 12 month high of $636.04. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $521.76 and its 200-day moving average price is $515.84.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The specialty retailer reported $9.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.37 by $1.22. The company had revenue of $6.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.25 billion. Murphy USA had a return on equity of 92.81% and a net margin of 2.85%. Murphy USA’s quarterly revenue was up 34.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $7.25 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Murphy USA Inc. will post 35.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 4th will be given a dividend of $0.72 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 4th. This is an increase from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7.29%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MUSA has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Murphy USA from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Murphy USA from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 19th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $600.00 to $625.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $633.00 to $626.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $520.00 to $570.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $606.33.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Murphy USA

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. CX Institutional bought a new position in Murphy USA during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Root Financial Partners LLC lifted its position in Murphy USA by 82.5% in the first quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 73 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Murphy USA in the second quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Murphy USA in the second quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Finally, Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the second quarter valued at approximately $48,000. 80.81% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Murphy USA Company Profile

Murphy USA Inc is a U.S. operator of retail fuel and convenience stores. The company sells gasoline and diesel fuel along with tobacco products, packaged beverages, snacks, candy, grocery items, general merchandise and other convenience products. Many locations also offer prepared food and related services.

The company operates stores under the Murphy USA and Murphy Express brands, with a network concentrated primarily in the Southern, Southeastern and Midwestern United States. Murphy USA locations are commonly situated near Walmart stores, while Murphy Express sites generally operate as standalone convenience stores.