JPMorgan Chase & Co. Cuts Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Price Target to $633.00

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) had its price objective decreased by equities researchers at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $655.00 to $633.00 in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “overweight” rating on the specialty retailer’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 20.30% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Zacks Research cut Murphy USA from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Murphy USA from $520.00 to $570.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Bank of America raised their target price on Murphy USA from $600.00 to $625.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. KeyCorp lifted their price target on Murphy USA from $600.00 to $680.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Murphy USA from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $550.00 to $625.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $606.89.

Murphy USA Price Performance

Murphy USA stock traded down $10.01 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $526.17. 213,943 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 336,273. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.24, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 0.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 0.28. Murphy USA has a 12 month low of $349.83 and a 12 month high of $636.04. The business’s 50-day moving average is $575.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $509.65.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The specialty retailer reported $11.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $9.95 by $1.32. The company had revenue of $6.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.03 billion. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.87% and a return on equity of 102.84%. Murphy USA’s quarterly revenue was up 36.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $7.36 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Murphy USA will post 32.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Diane N. Landen sold 3,000 shares of Murphy USA stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $547.25, for a total value of $1,641,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 53,841 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $29,464,487.25. This trade represents a 5.28% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Keith A. Emery sold 517 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $574.49, for a total value of $297,011.33. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $287,245. The trade was a 50.84% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 4,567 shares of company stock valued at $2,494,673. 9.02% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Murphy USA

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Huntington National Bank lifted its position in Murphy USA by 106.7% during the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 62 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Murphy USA by 423.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 68 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. WPG Advisers LLC raised its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 148.5% during the fourth quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 82 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. 80.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Murphy USA

Murphy USA is a leading downstream marketer of gasoline, diesel and convenience store products in the United States. Headquartered in El Dorado, Arkansas, the company was originally established as part of Murphy Oil Corporation and was spun off as an independent public entity in 2013. Since its separation, Murphy USA has focused on retail fueling services and convenience offerings designed to deliver value and convenience to consumers.

The company’s primary operations center on two retail formats.