Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Cut to "Hold" at StockNews.com

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report issued on Saturday.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $550.00 to $554.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $510.80.

Murphy USA Stock Down 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE:MUSA traded down $4.46 on Friday, hitting $482.43. 33,243 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 205,753. Murphy USA has a 1-year low of $382.04 and a 1-year high of $561.08. The company has a market capitalization of $9.77 billion, a PE ratio of 19.94 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a current ratio of 0.79. The firm's 50-day moving average is $502.01 and its 200 day moving average is $506.16.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $6.96 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.46 by $0.50. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.48% and a return on equity of 61.60%. Sell-side analysts predict that Murphy USA will post 26.47 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Rosemary Turner sold 797 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $496.10, for a total transaction of $395,391.70. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 9.04% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 5.4% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 391 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $193,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 40.4% during the third quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 73 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in Murphy USA by 6.4% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 347 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $174,000 after buying an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE grew its position 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 acquiring an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zacks Investment Management increased its stake 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 valued at $4,485,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. 80.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.