Fruth Investment Management Has $3.79 Million Position in Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA)

Fruth Investment Management cut its position in shares of Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) by 1.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 7,556 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 120 shares during the quarter. Murphy USA accounts for about 1.0% of Fruth Investment Management’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Fruth Investment Management’s holdings in Murphy USA were worth $3,791,000 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. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its stake in Murphy USA by 40.4% in the third quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 73 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. bought a new stake in Murphy USA during the fourth quarter worth $50,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its stake in Murphy USA by 186.1% in 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 last quarter. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in shares of Murphy USA in the 4th quarter valued at about $55,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in shares of Murphy USA by 348.4% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 139 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $70,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.81% of the company’s stock.

Murphy USA Stock Up 1.3 %

Murphy USA stock opened at $516.88 on Thursday. Murphy USA Inc. has a twelve month low of $358.51 and a twelve month high of $561.08. The stock has a market cap of $10.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.32 and a beta of 0.79. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $510.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $507.21. The company has a quick ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.19.

Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $6.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.46 by $0.50. Murphy USA had a return on equity of 62.73% and a net margin of 2.48%. As a group, analysts expect that Murphy USA Inc. will post 23.62 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com cut Murphy USA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $509.40.

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.