Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) Shares Sold by Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio reduced its stake in shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) by 4.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 11,990 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 542 shares during the quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in Murphy USA were worth $6,016,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. US Bancorp DE grew its position in shares of Murphy USA by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 4,444 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $2,230,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Zacks Investment Management boosted its stake in Murphy USA by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Zacks Investment Management now owns 8,938 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $4,485,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC boosted its stake in Murphy USA by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC now owns 967 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $485,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its position in Murphy USA by 37.0% in the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 100 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. increased its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 7,430 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $3,728,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the period. 80.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Murphy USA

In related news, CMO Renee M. Bacon sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $469.58, for a total value of $939,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer now owns 5,927 shares in the company, valued at $2,783,200.66. This trade represents a 25.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Jeanne Linder Phillips sold 797 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $452.31, for a total value of $360,491.07. Following the sale, the director now owns 2,349 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,062,476.19. The trade was a 25.33% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 9.04% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on MUSA shares. Stephens decreased their price objective on Murphy USA from $530.00 to $475.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 9th. Wall Street Zen lowered Murphy USA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. 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 objective on the stock. Finally, KeyCorp decreased their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $550.00 to $525.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Murphy USA has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $526.29.

Murphy USA Stock Down 2.6%

MUSA opened at $432.35 on Wednesday. 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 company has a market capitalization of $8.54 billion, a PE ratio of 17.87 and a beta of 0.59. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $474.57 and its 200-day moving average is $490.64. Murphy USA Inc. has a one year low of $424.03 and a one year high of $561.08.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The specialty retailer reported $2.63 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.87 by ($1.24). Murphy USA had a return on equity of 61.60% and a net margin of 2.48%. The business had revenue of $4.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.79 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.12 earnings per share. Murphy USA’s revenue was down 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, May 12th will be issued a $0.50 dividend. This is an increase from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.49. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.46%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 12th. Murphy USA’s payout ratio is presently 8.44%.

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.