Enhancing Capital LLC Purchases New Holdings in Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA)

Enhancing Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 1,042 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $523,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MUSA. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy USA in the fourth quarter valued at about $50,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 37.0% in the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 100 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 186.1% in the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 103 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy USA in the fourth quarter valued at about $55,000. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy USA in the fourth quarter valued at about $67,000. 80.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Murphy USA Stock Up 0.4 %

NYSE:MUSA traded up $1.63 on Friday, hitting $440.45. The stock had a trading volume of 342,738 shares, compared to its average volume of 194,130. The business's fifty day moving average is $474.38 and its 200 day moving average is $497.29. The company has a market cap of $8.72 billion, a PE ratio of 18.20 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18. Murphy USA Inc. has a 52 week low of $382.04 and a 52 week high of $561.08.

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Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $6.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.46 by $0.50. Murphy USA had a return on equity of 61.60% and a net margin of 2.48%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.44%. This is a positive change from Murphy USA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. Murphy USA's dividend payout ratio is presently 8.10%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MUSA has been the subject of several recent research reports. Melius assumed coverage on Murphy USA in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $600.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Melius Research raised Murphy USA to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. StockNews.com cut Murphy USA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Murphy USA from $550.00 to $554.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $525.67.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Rosemary Turner sold 797 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.10, for a total value of $395,391.70. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CMO Renee M. Bacon sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were 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 represents a 25.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 3,594 shares of company stock worth $1,695,043 over the last 90 days. 9.04% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.