BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S Boosts Stock Position in Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA)

BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S raised its stake in shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) by 1,091.4% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 14,464 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after buying an additional 13,250 shares during the quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S owned about 0.07% of Murphy USA worth $6,063,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its position in shares of Murphy USA by 19.0% during the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 188 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $67,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. SYSTM Wealth Solutions LLC increased its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 3.8% in the 1st quarter. SYSTM Wealth Solutions LLC now owns 844 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $354,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 5.1% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 643 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $270,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 499 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $170,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Resonant Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Murphy USA by 4.4% during the first quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC now owns 860 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $361,000 after buying an additional 36 shares during the last quarter. 80.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Murphy USA

In other news, VP Donald R. Smith, Jr. sold 854 shares of Murphy USA stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $438.75, for a total transaction of $374,692.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 20,099 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,818,436.25. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, Director Rosemary Turner sold 205 shares of Murphy USA stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $400.00, for a total transaction of $82,000.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Donald R. Smith, Jr. sold 854 shares of Murphy USA stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $438.75, for a total value of $374,692.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 20,099 shares in the company, valued at $8,818,436.25. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 11,451 shares of company stock valued at $5,032,498 over the last quarter. 9.73% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Murphy USA Stock Performance

NYSE MUSA traded up $4.61 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $459.71. 16,361 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 213,048. Murphy USA Inc. has a 52 week low of $282.49 and a 52 week high of $489.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.10 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.28. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $447.77 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $413.80.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The specialty retailer reported $3.12 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.09 by ($0.97). Murphy USA had a return on equity of 64.45% and a net margin of 2.43%. The business had revenue of $4.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.89 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $4.80 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Murphy USA Inc. will post 24.49 EPS for the current year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 20th were given a $0.44 dividend. This is a boost from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 17th. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.38%. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.39%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on MUSA. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $470.00 target price on shares of Murphy USA in a research note on Wednesday, April 10th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Murphy USA from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $440.00 to $460.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $408.60.

Murphy USA 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.