This Insider Has Just Sold Shares In Murphy USA

Some Murphy USA Inc. (NYSE:MUSA) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the CEO & Director, R. Clyde, recently sold a substantial US$16m worth of stock at a price of US$381 per share. That's a big disposal, and it decreased their holding size by 18%, which is notable but not too bad.

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The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Murphy USA

In fact, the recent sale by R. Clyde was the biggest sale of Murphy USA shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. That means that an insider was selling shares at below the current price (US$382). When an insider sells below the current price, it suggests that they considered that lower price to be fair. That makes us wonder what they think of the (higher) recent valuation. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. We note that the biggest single sale was only 18% of R. Clyde's holding.

Happily, we note that in the last year insiders paid US$2.3m for 6.00k shares. On the other hand they divested 44.58k shares, for US$17m. Over the last year we saw more insider selling of Murphy USA shares, than buying. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

View our latest analysis for Murphy USA

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Insider Ownership Of Murphy USA

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Murphy USA insiders own about US$692m worth of shares (which is 9.7% of the company). This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Murphy USA Tell Us?

An insider sold Murphy USA shares recently, but they didn't buy any. Despite some insider buying, the longer term picture doesn't make us feel much more positive. The company boasts high insider ownership, but we're a little hesitant, given the history of share sales. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. At Simply Wall St, we found 2 warning signs for Murphy USA that deserve your attention before buying any shares.

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For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.