The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 20% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading oversold. Over the past year the shares are up 44%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 22%. The street (9 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $558.
Murphy USA Inc. MUSA
Clears both ethical standards
An entry written while the outcome is still unknown. It will be scored by what the market does next, and it will never be edited to look cleverer than it was.
In plain words · Murphy USA Inc., together with subsidiaries, engages in marketing of retail motor fuel products and convenience merchandise.
read at $618.57
Murphy USA Inc. holds its Markup at $618.57.
- PHPhase · the trend structure carries the Markup label
- INInsiders · no filings inside 60 days, left as found
- POPositioning · no disclosures inside 60 days, left as found
- OPOptions · no verdict drawn today, left as found
- SCScreen · passes the values gate
- edge confirmed
- edge broken
- edge forming
Each arm is one independent read. Conviction is not a single call, it is how many edges converge.
The investor read · the season, not the day
| Phase | Markup |
| Quantitative state | Consolidating, no directional conviction, held for 19 days |
| Price | $618.57 |
| Valuation | 21.51 trailing · 20.98 forward price to earnings |
| Values screen | PASS · score 70.0 |
| Beta | 0.30 |
The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth
Price history & projections · where it has been, where the models see it going
The valuation journey · where the price sits against fair value and the Street
Green marks levels above today's price, red below; the shaded band is the gap between the price and our fair value.
Reading the gap · Both our model and the Street see limited upside at this price.
| Revenue growth | 7.10% |
| Profit margin | 3.20% |
| Debt to equity | 412.27 |
| Analyst consensus | Buy · 10 covering |
Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; target range reflects third-party analyst estimates. Analysis, not advice.
The values screen, explained · five checks, plain English
This company clears both standards. There are two widely recognised ways to check whether a company is suitable for a Muslim investor. Here is how it did on each:
Used by most halal investing apps ✓ PASSES
The one Titan applies ✓ PASSES
What these two standards are, and how they differ →
- Business activity Its core business isn't built on prohibited lines — no gambling, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, or interest-based lending. Pass
- Debt load Interest-bearing debt is of its assets, above the one-third ceiling the screen allows. Fail
- Interest-bearing cash Interest-bearing cash and securities are of assets, above the one-third limit. Fail
- Receivables Money owed to the company is of assets, above the 49% limit. Fail
- Revenue purity Only 0.0% of revenue comes from non-compliant sources — under the 5% line. Pass
Every security is read against two recognised standards: our stricter asset-based screen (ratios measured against total assets) and the more widely used market-value standard (measured against market capitalisation). Where they agree we say so plainly; where they part ways — almost always on the debt check — we show both readings and mark it, because that disagreement is the finding, not a fault. We report the score; you and your scholar make the call.
The business, in plain words · what the numbers mean
Fuel Retailer Trades Well Above Fair Value
Picture the driver pulling into a roadside forecourt for fuel and a quick snack. Murphy USA runs those stores across the US, selling petrol and convenience items under its own brands. The business generates an impressive 80% return on equity and passes our ethical screen, yet revenue growth sits at just 7% with thin 3% profit margins.
We pass on the shares. At 21 times forward earnings the price of 618 dollars sits 20% above our fair value estimate, and the opportunity rating is none. Analyst targets cluster near the current level, offering little margin for error in a sector tied to fuel volumes and spending patterns.
Cyclical exposure remains the core concern. Low margins mean any drop in traffic or rise in costs hits profits fast, and a high multiple on peak earnings can trap investors rather than reward them. Analysis, not advice.
| Forward P/E | 21.0x expensive even after accounting for its growth |
| Trailing P/E | 21.5x a premium valuation |
| Revenue growth | 7.1% slow but positive growth |
| Profit margin | 3.2% barely profitable |
| Return on equity | 80.3% an exceptional return on shareholder capital |
| Debt to equity | 4.12 heavy leverage — higher risk if revenue softens |
| Current ratio | 0.83 below 1 — short-term bills exceed liquid assets |
| Beta | 0.30 barely tracks the market's swings |
| Market cap | $11.4B |
| Employees | 5,900 |
The risks · The things to watch: it carries a real debt load, which raises the stakes if revenue slips.
Plain-English interpretation of our own screen data. Analysis, not advice.
Related securities · others in MUSA's space worth a look
Screened names in the same industry · explore each on its own page.
Where & how to trade · wherever in the world you are
MUSA trades on the NYSE. As a US-listed security it is accessible through almost any international broker offering US markets. New to this, or investing from outside the US? Our guide to accessing global markets covers brokers, currencies and the practical steps.
The trader read · the latest dated commentary
The dated journal · newest first, never edited
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen (70). The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns.
The framework reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen (70). The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns.
Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.
What holding actually paid · price plus dividends
| Period | Price then | Price return | Divs per share | $1,000 became | Total return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | $577.28 | +5.5% | $0.64 | $1,056 | +5.6% |
| 2 months | $492.67 | +23.7% | $0.64 | $1,238 | +23.8% |
| 3 months | $454.87 | +33.9% | $0.64 | $1,341 | +34.1% |
| 6 months | $394.97 | +54.2% | $1.27 | $1,546 | +54.6% |
| 1 year | $422.30 | +44.3% | $2.43 | $1,448 | +44.8% |
| 2 years | $441.00 | +38.1% | $4.35 | $1,391 | +39.1% |
| 3 years | $280.61 | +117.1% | $6.01 | $2,193 | +119.3% |
| 5 years | $134.51 | +352.9% | $8.57 | $4,593 | +359.3% |
Historical returns from market close data. Past performance does not guarantee future results.