Assetmark Inc. Purchases 1,513 Shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA)

Assetmark Inc. increased its position in shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) by 4.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 36,753 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,513 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc. owned about 0.18% of Murphy USA worth $18,441,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Stifel Financial Corp grew its position in Murphy USA by 22.2% during the 3rd quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 8,385 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $4,133,000 after acquiring an additional 1,526 shares during the last quarter. Oak Thistle LLC acquired a new position in Murphy USA during the 4th quarter worth about $1,207,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new position in Murphy USA during the 4th quarter worth about $11,529,000. CWA Asset Management Group LLC acquired a new position in Murphy USA during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,573,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in Murphy USA by 69.9% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 428,379 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $211,135,000 after buying an additional 176,308 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.81% of the company’s stock.

Murphy USA Stock Down 3.9 %

Shares of NYSE:MUSA opened at $447.95 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $8.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.51 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.37. The business’s 50-day moving average is $486.25 and its 200-day moving average is $502.70. Murphy USA Inc. has a 1 year low of $382.04 and a 1 year high of $561.08.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $6.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.46 by $0.50. Murphy USA had a return on equity of 61.60% and a net margin of 2.48%. Equities research analysts predict 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 was paid on Wednesday, March 5th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th were paid a dividend of $0.49 per share. This is an increase from Murphy USA’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.48. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.44%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. Murphy USA’s dividend payout ratio is 8.10%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have commented on MUSA. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Murphy USA from $550.00 to $554.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. StockNews.com downgraded Murphy USA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Murphy USA from $555.00 to $550.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Murphy USA currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $510.80.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

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.