Insider Selling: Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) CMO Sells 2,000 Shares of Stock

Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) CMO Renee M. Bacon sold 2,000 shares of Murphy USA stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $469.58, for a total value of $939,160.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 5,927 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,783,200.66. This trade represents a 25.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Murphy USA Trading Up 1.5 %

MUSA traded up $6.74 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $471.55. 312,222 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 190,960. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.49 and a beta of 0.79. Murphy USA Inc. has a one year low of $382.04 and a one year high of $561.08. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $488.05 and its 200 day simple moving average is $503.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 0.79.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $6.96 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.46 by $0.50. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.48% and a return on equity of 61.60%. As a group, analysts forecast that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be given a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.42%. This is a boost from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 24th. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 8.10%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. StockNews.com lowered Murphy USA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 15th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted 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 report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $510.80.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Murphy USA

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. acquired a new position in Murphy USA in the fourth quarter valued at about $50,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its position in shares of Murphy USA by 186.1% in the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 103 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in Murphy USA during the 4th quarter worth approximately $55,000. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Murphy USA during the 4th quarter worth approximately $64,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.81% of the company’s stock.

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.