Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on MUSA. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $550.00 to $554.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $510.80.

Murphy USA Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE MUSA traded down $5.08 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $483.92. 119,091 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 205,861. The company has a market capitalization of $9.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.99 and a beta of 0.79. Murphy USA has a 52-week low of $382.04 and a 52-week high of $561.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $507.04 and a 200-day moving average price of $506.85.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $6.96 EPS 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%. Equities research analysts expect that Murphy USA will post 26.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Murphy USA

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 40.4% in the 3rd 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 period. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. acquired a new position in Murphy USA during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its holdings in Murphy USA by 186.1% during the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 103 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Murphy USA during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Murphy USA in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $67,000. Institutional investors own 80.81% of the company's stock.

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.