Insider Selling: Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) Director Sells 797 Shares of Stock

Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) Director Jeanne Linder Phillips sold 797 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $452.31, for a total value of $360,491.07. Following the transaction, the director now owns 2,349 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,062,476.19. This trade represents a 25.33 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Murphy USA Trading Down 3.9 %

Shares of NYSE:MUSA opened at $447.95 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $8.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.51 and a beta of 0.79. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $486.25 and its 200-day moving average is $502.70. Murphy USA Inc. has a 52-week low of $382.04 and a 52-week high of $561.08. 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 released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $6.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.46 by $0.50. Murphy USA had a return on equity of 61.60% and a net margin of 2.48%. Equities research analysts predict that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 5th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th were given a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. This is an increase from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.44%. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 8.10%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on MUSA shares. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com downgraded Murphy USA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 15th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on Murphy USA from $550.00 to $554.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $510.80.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Murphy USA

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Stifel Financial Corp grew its position in Murphy USA by 22.2% during the third quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 8,385 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $4,133,000 after buying an additional 1,526 shares in the last quarter. Oak Thistle LLC acquired a new stake in Murphy USA during the fourth quarter worth about $1,207,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new stake in Murphy USA during the fourth quarter worth about $11,529,000. Assetmark Inc. grew its position in Murphy USA by 6.1% during the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 35,240 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $17,369,000 after buying an additional 2,028 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWA Asset Management Group LLC bought a new position in Murphy USA during the third quarter worth about $1,573,000. 80.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Murphy USA Company Profile

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.