Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Hits New 1-Year Low – What’s Next?

Shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) hit a new 52-week low during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $406.94 and last traded at $412.63, with a volume of 54968 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $425.24.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MUSA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Murphy USA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. KeyCorp cut 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 note on Friday, May 9th. Melius initiated coverage on shares of Murphy USA in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. They set a “buy” rating and a $600.00 target price for the company. Melius Research raised shares of Murphy USA to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Raymond James lowered shares of Murphy USA from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, May 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Murphy USA has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $526.29.

Murphy USA Trading Down 3.1%

The business’s 50-day moving average price is $469.43 and its 200 day moving average price is $484.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.04 and a beta of 0.50.

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

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Murphy USA news, Director David C. Haley bought 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of $435.58 per share, for a total transaction of $435,580.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 1,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $435,580. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 9.04% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Murphy USA

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MUSA. Independent Advisor Alliance boosted its position in Murphy USA by 4.9% during the first quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 489 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $230,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE lifted its holdings 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 buying an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Zacks Investment Management increased its position in shares of Murphy USA by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Zacks Investment Management now owns 8,938 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $4,485,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its position in Murphy USA by 1.2% in the first quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 2,130 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,000,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 37.0% during the fourth 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. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.81% of the company’s stock.

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.