BNP Paribas Financial Markets Sells 9,096 Shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA)

BNP Paribas Financial Markets trimmed its position in shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) by 43.6% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 11,759 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 9,096 shares during the quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets’ holdings in Murphy USA were worth $5,796,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 777.8% in the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 79 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. boosted its holdings in Murphy USA by 141.4% in the 2nd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 70 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its position in Murphy USA by 40.4% in the 3rd quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 73 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. Key Financial Inc increased its holdings in shares of Murphy USA by 942.9% during the 3rd quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 146 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $72,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares during the period. Finally, GHP Investment Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Murphy USA by 82.1% during the second quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 173 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $81,000 after buying an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. 80.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Murphy USA Stock Performance

NYSE:MUSA opened at $541.34 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.19. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $503.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $492.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.96 billion, a PE ratio of 22.33 and a beta of 0.78. Murphy USA Inc. has a 12-month low of $350.55 and a 12-month high of $561.08.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The specialty retailer reported $7.20 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.64 by $0.56. Murphy USA had a return on equity of 62.73% and a net margin of 2.48%. The business had revenue of $5.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.54 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $7.69 EPS. Murphy USA’s quarterly revenue was down 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Murphy USA Inc. will post 23.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Murphy USA Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 4th were paid a dividend of $0.48 per share. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.35%. This is a boost from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 4th. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.92%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MUSA. StockNews.com downgraded Murphy USA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered Murphy USA from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $415.00 to $435.00 in a report on Thursday, September 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Murphy USA currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $495.33.

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.