Meeder Asset Management Inc. Makes New Investment in Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA)

Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 2,362 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,110,000.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Murphy USA in the first quarter worth $241,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Murphy USA during the 1st quarter valued at $40,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new position in Murphy USA during the 1st quarter valued at $3,683,000. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in Murphy USA by 21.1% during the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 1,210 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $568,000 after purchasing an additional 211 shares during the period. Finally, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd increased its position in Murphy USA by 81.9% during the 1st quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 1,812 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $851,000 after purchasing an additional 816 shares during the period. 80.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Murphy USA

In other news, Director David C. Haley bought 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 purchase, the director owned 1,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $435,580. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 10.12% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on MUSA shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Murphy USA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Stephens reduced their price objective on shares of Murphy USA from $530.00 to $475.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Raymond James Financial downgraded shares of Murphy USA from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, KeyCorp dropped their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $500.00 to $480.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 25th. 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 given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $519.86.

Murphy USA Stock Performance

Shares of MUSA stock opened at $411.52 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $420.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $457.21. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.74. The stock has a market cap of $8.13 billion, a PE ratio of 17.36 and a beta of 0.48. Murphy USA Inc. has a 12 month low of $385.44 and a 12 month high of $561.08.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The specialty retailer reported $2.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.87 by ($1.24). The company had revenue of $4.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.79 billion. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.46% and a return on equity of 61.19%. The business’s revenue was down 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.12 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

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