Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. Sells 49 Shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA)

Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. reduced its position in Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) by 0.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,245 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 49 shares during the quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Murphy USA were worth $2,632,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy USA in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $50,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 37.0% in the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 100 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 186.1% in the 4th 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 in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Murphy USA in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 348.4% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 139 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $70,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. 80.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Murphy USA Stock Up 2.1 %

NYSE:MUSA opened at $469.63 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $488.99 and its 200 day simple moving average is $503.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.37. Murphy USA Inc. has a one year low of $382.04 and a one year high of $561.08. The company has a market cap of $9.40 billion, a PE ratio of 19.41 and a beta of 0.79.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $6.96 earnings per share (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 anticipate that Murphy USA Inc. will post 26.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be issued a dividend of $0.49 per share. This is a positive change from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 24th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.42%. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.10%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Murphy USA 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 9.04% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on MUSA. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Murphy USA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 15th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Murphy USA from $550.00 to $554.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Murphy USA presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $510.80.

About Murphy USA

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.