Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday.
Several other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Melius started coverage on shares of Murphy USA in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. They set a "buy" rating and a $600.00 price objective on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target 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. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on Murphy USA from $550.00 to $554.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Melius Research upgraded Murphy USA to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Murphy USA presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $525.67.
Check Out Our Latest Report on MUSA
Murphy USA Stock Down 2.3 %
Shares of NYSE:MUSA traded down $10.55 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $440.63. The company had a trading volume of 204,342 shares, compared to its average volume of 192,893. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18. The business's 50 day moving average price is $478.57 and its 200 day moving average price is $499.33. The stock has a market cap of $8.82 billion, a PE ratio of 18.21 and a beta of 0.80. Murphy USA has a 1-year low of $382.04 and a 1-year high of $561.08.
Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 61.60% and a net margin of 2.48%. Research analysts forecast that Murphy USA will post 26.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In related news, CMO Renee M. Bacon sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $469.58, for a total value of $939,160.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer now owns 5,927 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,783,200.66. This trade represents a 25.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Rosemary Turner sold 797 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.10, for a total transaction of $395,391.70. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 3,594 shares of company stock worth $1,695,043 in the last quarter. 9.04% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Murphy USA
Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in Murphy USA in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $112,741,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 69.9% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 428,379 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $211,135,000 after purchasing an additional 176,308 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Murphy USA in the 4th quarter valued at $53,777,000. FMR LLC raised its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 6.0% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,751,206 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $863,116,000 after buying an additional 99,253 shares in the last quarter. Finally, World Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Murphy USA during the 3rd quarter worth $30,122,000. 80.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Murphy USA Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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