466 Shares in Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) Acquired by Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC

Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 466 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $234,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. acquired a new stake in Murphy USA during the 4th quarter worth about $50,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its position in shares of Murphy USA by 37.0% in the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 100 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Murphy USA in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Murphy USA in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $67,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.81% of the company’s stock.

Murphy USA Trading Down 1.3 %

NYSE:MUSA opened at $438.17 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $8.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.11 and a beta of 0.80. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $475.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $497.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a current ratio of 0.79. Murphy USA Inc. has a 52 week low of $382.04 and a 52 week high of $561.08.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $6.96 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. On average, research analysts forecast that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th were paid a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.45%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. This is an increase from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio is 8.10%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Melius Research raised shares of Murphy USA to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped 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 increased their price objective on Murphy USA from $550.00 to $554.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. StockNews.com cut Murphy USA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Melius began coverage on shares of Murphy USA in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $600.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Murphy USA presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $525.67.

Insider Activity

In related news, CMO Renee M. Bacon sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $469.58, for a total value of $939,160.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 5,927 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,783,200.66. This trade represents a 25.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Jeanne Linder Phillips sold 797 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $452.31, for a total transaction of $360,491.07. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,349 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,062,476.19. This represents a 25.33 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 3,594 shares of company stock valued at $1,695,043. Insiders own 9.04% of the company’s stock.

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.