Murphy USA Inc., together with subsidiaries, 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 areas of the United States. Murphy USA Inc. was founded …
Full MUSA analysis →
Competitive advantage assessment
Key strengths
ROIC Sustainably Above PeersROIC at 69.4th percentile exceeds peers and WACC, demonstrating superior capital allocation.
Margins Stable Across CyclesOperating margin volatility is low (stability score 1.00), demonstrating pricing resilience across cycles.
Key risks
Liquidity ConcernsLiquidity is concerning (score 0.08), raising questions about short-term obligations.
Revenue Volatility Signals Weak StickinessRevenue volatility is high (stability score 0.31), suggesting weak customer stickiness.
The dashed ring is the peer median. Defense scores are percentile ranks
against peers, so 50 is roughly the typical company in this group.
Upgrade to unlock the signals and evidence behind each defense.
Premium access
Unlock full defense analysis
Get key signals, strengths, and risks for every moat dimension.
Murphy USA Inc. ranks #19 of 52
scored companies in Specialty Retail by moat score — the top 37%.
The widest moat in the group is Winmark Corporation (WINA)
at 83/100.
Moat scores for companies ranked near MUSA in Specialty Retail
Pricing power is the ability to raise prices without losing volume.
Cost Advantage
Score 80
· 15% of the moat score
A cost advantage means delivering the same product for structurally less — better purchasing, denser distribution, a more automated process.
Customer Stickiness
Score 44
· 15% of the moat score
Stickiness is what makes revenue repeat without being re-won every year.
Capital Efficiency
Score 75
· 18% of the moat score
Capital efficiency asks what the company earns on the money tied up in the business.
Resilience
Score 35
· 17% of the moat score
Resilience is the capacity to get through a bad year on its own terms — enough liquidity, enough interest cover, and enough cash generation to avoid a rescue financing or a forced sale.
Scale & Market Position
Score 50
· 15% of the moat score
Scale matters only when it converts into economics.
Murphy USA Inc. (MUSA) scores 57 out of 100 on the StatsAlpha Moat Map, which rates its competitive advantage as moderate. It ranks #19 of 52 scored companies in Specialty Retail, the top 37%. The score is a weighted composite of 6 competitive defenses, each measured against industry peers of 51 companies in Specialty Retail. Its strongest defense is Cost Advantage (80/100) and its weakest is Resilience (35/100).
How does Murphy USA Inc. compare with other Specialty Retail companies?
Murphy USA Inc. ranks #19 of 52 scored companies in Specialty Retail by moat score. The widest moat in Specialty Retail is Winmark Corporation (WINA) at 83/100. The companies ranked closest are MINISO Group Holding Limited (MNSO) at 60 just above it and HOMESTOLIFE LTD (HTLM) at 56 just below it.
How is the moat score calculated?
Each company is scored with an industry-specific template — Corporate Default in this case, chosen because the defenses that matter to a bank are not the ones that matter to a software company. Every defense combines several financial signals, and each signal is measured as a percentile against a peer group of 51 companies in Specialty Retail. The defenses are then weighted to produce the overall score out of 100.
Why is Murphy USA Inc. scored with the Corporate Default template?
Most public companies sell a product or a service at a margin, so the moat question is whether that margin survives contact with competitors. The Corporate template scores the six defenses that show up in a general operating company's financial signature: whether it can hold price, produce more cheaply than rivals, keep its customers, earn a return above its cost of capital, withstand a downturn, and turn size into economics.
Which competitive defenses are measured for Murphy USA Inc.?
The Corporate Default template measures 6 defenses, and MUSA scores: Pricing Power (59), Cost Advantage (80), Customer Stickiness (44), Capital Efficiency (75), Resilience (35), Scale & Market Position (50). Each is scored independently as a percentile against peers, so a company can be strong on one and weak on another — the overall score reflects how those defenses are weighted for this industry.
We value your privacy
We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and personalize content. By clicking 'Accept All', you consent to our use of cookies.
Read our cookie policy
Cookie Preferences
Manage your cookie preferences. Essential cookies are always enabled.