LSV Asset Management Sells 19,400 Shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA)

LSV Asset Management cut its holdings in shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA - Free Report) by 61.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 12,120 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 19,400 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management owned approximately 0.06% of Murphy USA worth $6,081,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Murphy USA in the 4th quarter worth $112,741,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in Murphy USA by 69.9% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 428,379 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $211,135,000 after purchasing an additional 176,308 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Murphy USA in the fourth quarter worth about $53,777,000. World Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,122,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Murphy USA by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,864,405 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $935,465,000 after purchasing an additional 54,658 shares during the last quarter. 80.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on MUSA shares. StockNews.com lowered shares of Murphy USA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday. Melius initiated coverage on shares of Murphy USA in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. They set a "buy" rating and a $600.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Murphy USA from $550.00 to $554.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, KeyCorp began coverage on Murphy USA in a research report on Friday, April 11th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $550.00 price objective on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and three have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $539.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CMO Renee M. Bacon sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $469.58, for a total transaction of $939,160.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 5,927 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,783,200.66. This represents a 25.23 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Jeanne Linder Phillips sold 797 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $452.31, for a total transaction of $360,491.07. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,349 shares of the company's stock, 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. Insiders have sold a total of 3,594 shares of company stock valued at $1,695,043 in the last quarter. 9.04% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Murphy USA Price Performance

MUSA stock traded up $4.57 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $511.03. The company's stock had a trading volume of 134,910 shares, compared to its average volume of 204,545. 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 12 month low of $382.04 and a 12 month high of $561.08. The company has a 50 day moving average of $469.44 and a two-hundred day moving average of $492.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.12 and a beta of 0.73.

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

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.38%. This is a boost from Murphy USA's previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. Murphy USA's payout ratio is 8.10%.

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.