EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 1573516
Filing Year: 2021
Filename: 1573516_10-K_2021_0001573516-21-000017.json

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Item 1. BUSINESS
Murphy USA Inc. ("Murphy USA" or the "Company") was incorporated in Delaware on March 1, 2013 and holds, through its subsidiaries, the former U.S. retail marketing business of its former parent company, Murphy Oil Corporation (“Murphy Oil”), plus other assets and liabilities of Murphy Oil that supported the activities of the U.S. retail marketing operations.
Our business consists primarily of the marketing of retail motor fuel products and convenience merchandise through a large chain of 1,503 (as of December 31, 2020) retail stores operated by us, almost all of which are in close proximity to Walmart stores. Our retail stores are located in 25 states, primarily in the Southeast, Southwest and Midwest United States. Of these stores, 1,151 are branded Murphy USA and 352 are standalone Murphy Express locations (as of December 31, 2020). The majority of our Murphy USA locations participate in a cents-off per gallon purchased discount program for fuel with Walmart when using specific payment method and both Murphy USA and Murphy Express locations participate in Walmart's new membership offering, Walmart+. Subsequent to year end, on January 29, 2021, the Company completed its acquisition of Quick Chek Corporation ("QuickChek") which added 157 locations in New Jersey and New York and increased to 27 the number states where the Company operates.
Our business also includes certain product supply and wholesale assets, including product distribution terminals and pipeline positions. As an independent publicly traded company, we are a low-price, high volume fuel retailer selling convenience merchandise through low cost small store formats and kiosks with key strategic relationships and experienced management.
Our business is subject to various risks. For a description of these risks, see “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Information about our operations, properties and business segments, including revenues by class of products and financial information by geographic area, are provided on pages 27 through 41,,, and F-F-30 through of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Our Competitive Strengths
Our business foundation is built around five reinforcing strengths which we believe provide us a competitive advantage over our peers. These strengths support our Company vision which is to “Deliver every day the quickest, most friendly service and a low-price value proposition to our growing customer base for the products and markets we serve.”
Strategic proximity to and complementary relationship with Walmart
Of our network of 1,503 retail gasoline stores (as of December 31, 2020), the majority are situated on prime locations located near Walmart stores. We believe our proximity to Walmart stores generates significant traffic to our existing retail stores while our competitively priced gasoline and convenience offerings appeal to our shared customers. We continue to collaborate with Walmart on fuel discount programs, including Walmart's recently introduced Walmart+, which we believe enhances the customer value proposition as well as the competitive position of both Murphy USA and Walmart.
Winning proposition with value-conscious consumers
Our competitively priced fuel is a compelling offering for value-conscious consumers. Despite a flat long-term outlook in overall gasoline demand (increased vehicle miles traveled in a normal economy essentially offsetting increased fuel efficiency), we believe value-conscious consumers that prefer convenience and service are a growing demand segment. In combination with our high traffic locations, our competitive gasoline prices drive high fuel volumes and gross profit. In addition, we believe we are an industry leader in per-site tobacco sales with our low-priced tobacco products and in total store sales per square foot as we also sell a growing assortment of single-serve/immediate consumption items. We continue to provide value opportunities to our customers through our Murphy Drive Rewards loyalty program which rewards customers with discounted and free items based on purchases of qualifying fuel and merchandise.
Low cost retail operating model
We operate our retail gasoline stores with a strong emphasis on fuel sales complemented by a focused convenience offering that allows for a smaller store footprint than most of our competitors. We build a mix of 1,200-1,400 square foot stores and new-to-industry ("NTI") 2,800 square foot stores which we believe have low capital expenditure, maintenance and utility requirements relative to our competitors. We have also developed standardized 208 square feet kiosks with external super coolers when the available land or economics did not support the small store format. Many of our stores require only one or two associates to be present during business hours and 85% of our stores are located on Company-owned property and do not incur any rent expense. The combination of a focused convenience offering and standardized smaller footprint stores allows us to achieve lower overhead costs and on-site costs compared to competitors with a much larger store format. According to the 2019 National Association of Convenience Stores’ State of the Industry Survey, we operate at approximately 29% of the average monthly operating costs for top quartile performing stores in the industry. In addition, we operate among the highest industry safety standards and had a Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) and Days Away from Work (DAW) rate that was substantially lower than the industry averages in 2019 using the most current published data by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Our low cost operating model translates into a low cash fuel breakeven requirement that allows us to weather extended periods of low fuel margins and which has improved by more than 3 cpg since our spinoff in 2013.
Distinctive fuel supply chain capabilities
We source fuel at very competitive industry benchmark prices due to the diversity of fuel options available to us in the bulk and rack product markets, our shipper status on major pipeline systems, and our access to numerous terminal locations. In addition, we have a strong distribution system in which we analyze intraday supply options and direct third-party tanker trucks to the most favorably priced terminal to load products for each Murphy site, further reducing our fuel product costs. By participating in the broader fuel supply chain, we believe our business model provides additional upside exposure to opportunities to enhance margins and volume, such as shifting non-contractual wholesale volumes to protect retail fuel supply during periods of constrained supply and elevated margins. These activities demonstrate our belief that participating in the broader fuel supply chain provides us with added flexibility to ensure reliable low-cost fuel supply in various market conditions especially during periods of significant price volatility. It would take substantial time and investment, both in expertise and assets, for a competitor to replicate our existing position, and we believe this continues to be a significant barrier to any attempt to emulate our business model.
Resilient financial profile and engaged team
Our predominantly fee-simple asset base, ability to generate attractive gross margins through our low-price, high volume strategy, and our low overhead costs should help us endure prolonged periods of unfavorable commodity price movements and compressed fuel margins. We also believe our conservative financial structure further protects us from the inherently volatile fuel environment. We expect that our strong cash position and availability under our credit facility will continue to provide us with a significant level of liquidity to help maintain a disciplined capital expenditure program focused on growing ratably through periods of both high and low fuel margins. In addition, we have acquired through share repurchase over $1.5 billion of our common stock in a little more than seven years of operation. Following the completion of the $400 million repurchase program approved in July 2019, in October 2020 the Board of Directors approved an up to $500 million share repurchase program. After repurchases made under this program in 2020, we have approximately $375 million remaining in the program to be completed by December 31, 2023. Further, in order to provide consistent and meaningful returns of capital to shareholders independent of share repurchase, we proudly initiated a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share, or $1.00 per share on an annualized basis, to our shareholders beginning in December 2020. We have more than 9,900 hardworking employees as of December 31, 2020, that are actively engaged to serve the customer, whether it is the external retail consumer or their internal co-workers. We believe our sustainable business model and organic growth opportunities support an employee value proposition that makes Murphy USA an attractive place to work.
Our Business Strategy
Our business strategy reflects a set of coherent choices that leverage our differentiated strengths and capabilities.
Grow organically
We intend for our independent growth plan to be a key driver of our organic growth over the next several years, which is demonstrated by the 352 standalone Murphy Express locations (as of December 31, 2020) we have developed, the majority of which were developed after our 2013 spin-off from Murphy Oil Corporation. We expect to build up to 55 NTI locations and up to 25 raze-and-rebuilds per year, targeting high-return locations either in high traffic areas, near Walmart Supercenters, or by strategic infill in our core market areas complemented by our supply chain capabilities. While we were previously focused on smaller lot sizes, we now expect to build more NTI stores that are 2,800 square feet or larger. Our real estate development team works to maintain a multi-year pipeline of projects that supports continued ratable expansion in these high-return locations.
Diversify merchandise mix
We plan to continuously evaluate our remaining kiosk strategy in an effort to maximize our site economics and return on investment. Complementary to that strategy, we are continually refining our 1,200-1,400 square foot and 2,800 square foot designs to create a foundation for increasing higher-margin non-tobacco sales and diversifying our merchandise offerings. Key to achieving the highest potential returns from our large and small format stores is the development and execution of enhanced food and beverage ("F&B") capabilities. We expect to further expand merchandise revenue and margins through our primary supplier relationship with Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc. ("Core-Mark") and in addition, to optimize our promotional planning, merchandise assortment, and pricing effectiveness, in order to help boost overall site returns.
Sustain cost leadership position
We believe that sustaining our low cost position is a strategic advantage as a retailer of commodity products. We are undertaking several initiatives for the purpose of increasing efficiency which should allow us to continue to beat inflation on per-site operating costs to help sustain low site level costs. We also believe that through our planned growth and efficiency initiatives, we can achieve reductions in overhead costs to support an overall improvement in site returns and keep costs properly scaled as we grow organically. In order to do this successfully, we will focus on the continued development of our employees and foster an operating culture aligned with business performance, including cost leadership.
Create advantage from market volatility
We plan to continue to focus our product supply and wholesale efforts on activities that enhance our ability to be a low-price retail fuel leader and our ability to take advantage of fuel price volatility. We will continue to invest in capabilities and asset positions that support our supply chain strategy. Our distinctive business model and supply chain advantage allows us to deliver consistent margins over time, helping the business to better withstand periods of volatility and uncertainty.
Invest for the long term
We maintain a portfolio of predominantly fee-simple assets and utilize what we believe to be an appropriate debt structure that will allow us to be resilient during times of volatility in fuel demand, price, and margin. We believe our strong financial position should allow us to profitably execute our low-cost, high volume retail strategy through periods of both high and low fuel margins while preserving the ability to re-invest in and grow our existing sites, brand image and supporting capabilities. Furthermore, in addition to our site development capital and capability building investments we have diversified our shareholder distribution mechanism to provide consistent return of capital through quarterly cash dividends and meaningful share repurchase programs as we continue to focus on maximizing shareholder value.
Industry Trends
We operate within the large, growing, competitive and highly fragmented U.S. retail fuel and convenience store industry. Several key industry trends and characteristics, include:
•Sensitivity to gas prices among cost conscious consumers, and increasing customer demand for low-priced fuel;
•Highly fragmented nature of the industry providing larger chain operators like Murphy USA with significant scale advantage;
•Significantly increased fuel capacity in the marketplace by the addition of new-to-industry retail fuel and convenience stores, and
•High levels of consumer traffic around supermarkets and large format hypermarkets, supporting complementary demand at nearby and cross-promoted retail fuel stores.
Corporate Information
Murphy USA was incorporated in Delaware on March 1, 2013 and our business consists of U.S. retail marketing operations. Our headquarters are located at 200 Peach Street, El Dorado, Arkansas 71730 and our general telephone number is (870) 875-7600. Our Internet website is www.murphyusa.com. Our website and the information contained on that site, or connected to that site, are not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Shares of Murphy USA common stock are traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “MUSA”.
Description of Our Business
We market fueling products through a network of Company retail stores and unbranded wholesale customers. During 2020, the Company sold approximately 3.9 billion gallons of motor fuel through our retail outlets. Below is a table that lists the states where we operate Company-owned stores at December 31, 2020 and the number of stores in each state.
State No. of stores State No. of stores State No. of stores
Alabama 81 Kentucky 48 Ohio 44
Arkansas 69 Louisiana 79 Oklahoma 55
Colorado 25 Michigan 27 South Carolina 63
Florida 131 Missouri 50 Tennessee 93
Georgia 99 Mississippi 55 Texas 327
Iowa 22 Nebraska 5 Utah 5
Illinois 43 Nevada 4 Virginia 23
Indiana 39 New Mexico 19
Kansas 7 North Carolina 90 Total 1,503
The following table provides a history of our Company-owned station count during the three-year period ended December 31, 2020:
Years Ended December 31,
2020 2019 2018
Start of period 1,489 1,472 1,446
New construction 24 17 26
Closed or sold (10) - -
End of period 1,503 1,489 1,472
Since 2007, we have purchased from Walmart the properties underlying many of our Company stores. Each of our owned properties that were purchased from Walmart are also subject to Easements and Covenants with Restrictions Affecting Land (“ECRs”), which impose customary restrictions on the use of such properties, which Walmart has the right to enforce. In addition, pursuant to the ECRs, certain transfers involving these properties are subject to Walmart’s right of first refusal or right of first offer. Also, pursuant to the ECRs, we are prohibited from transferring such properties to a competitor of Walmart.
For risks related to our agreements with Walmart, including the ECRs, see “Risk Factors-Risks Relating to Our Business-Walmart retains certain rights in its agreements with us, which may adversely impact our ability to conduct our business.”
For the remaining stores located on or adjacent to Walmart property that are not owned, we have a master lease agreement that allows us to rent land from Walmart. The master lease agreement contains general terms applicable to all rental sites on Walmart property in the United States. The term of the leases is ten years at each station, with us holding four successive five-year extension options at each site. Approximately half of the leased sites have over 15 years of term remaining, including renewals, should the Company decide to exercise the renewal
options. The agreement permits Walmart to terminate it in its entirety, or only as to affected sites, at its option under customary circumstances (including in certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency), or if we improperly transfer the rights under the agreements to another party. In addition, the master lease agreement prohibits us from selling a leased station or allowing a third party to operate a leased station without written consent from Walmart.
As of December 31, 2020, we own the sites of 1,047 of our Murphy USA stores and we lease and operate 99 Murphy USA sites from Walmart, also we lease and sublease 3 other sites from Walmart. We have five Murphy USA sites located near Walmart locations where we pay rent to other landowners. For more information about our operating leases, see Note 18 "Leases" to the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements for the three years ended December 31, 2020.
As of December 31, 2020, we have 227 Murphy Express sites where we own the land and 125 locations where we rent the underlying land.
We have numerous sources for our retail fuel supply, including nearly all of the major and large oil companies operating in the U.S. We purchase fuel from oil companies, independent refiners, and other marketers at rates that fluctuate with market prices and generally are reset daily, and we sell fuel to our customers at prices that we establish daily. All fuel is delivered by the truckload as needed to replenish supply at our Company stores. Our inventories of fuel on site turn approximately once daily. By establishing motor fuel supply relationships with several alternate suppliers for most locations, we believe we are able to effectively create competition for our purchases among various fuel suppliers. We also believe that purchasing arrangements with multiple fuel suppliers may help us avoid product outages during times of motor fuel supply disruptions. At some locations, however, there are limited suppliers for fuel in that market and we may have only one supplier. Our refined products are distributed through a few product distribution terminals that are wholly owned and operated by us and from numerous terminals owned by others. About half of our wholly owned terminals are supplied by marine transportation and the rest are supplied by pipeline. We also receive products at terminals owned by others either in exchange for deliveries from our terminals or by outright purchase.
In addition to the motor fuel sold at our Company stores, our stores carry a broad selection of snacks, beverages, tobacco products and non-food merchandise. In 2020, we purchased more than 81% of our merchandise from a single vendor, Core-Mark, with whom we renewed a new five-year supply agreement in January 2021.
A statistical summary of key operating and financial indicators for each of the five years ended December 31, 2020 are reported below.
As of December 31,
2020 2019 2018 2017 2016
Branded retail outlets:
Murphy USA®
1,151 1,161 1,160 1,158 1,152
Murphy Express 352 328 312 288 249
Total 1,503 1,489 1,472 1,446 1,401
Retail marketing:
Total fuel contribution (including retail, PS&W and RINs) (cpg)1
25.2 16.1 16.2 16.4 15.4
Gallons sold per store month (in thousands) 219.5 248.3 244.0 245.3 259.1
Merchandise sales revenue per store month $ 166.3 $ 148.7 $ 139.7 $ 140.5 $ 144.4
Merchandise margin as a percentage of merchandise sales 15.6 % 16.0 % 16.5 % 16.1 % 15.6 %
1 Represents net sales prices for fuel less purchased cost of fuel.
Our business is organized into one reporting segment (Marketing). The Marketing segment includes our retail marketing sites and product supply and wholesale assets. For operating segment information, see Note 20 “Business Segments” in the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements for the three-year period ended December 31, 2020.
Competition
The U.S. petroleum business is highly competitive, particularly with regard to accessing and marketing petroleum and other refined products. We compete with other chains of retail fuel stores for fuel supply and in the retail sale of refined products to end consumers, primarily on the basis of price, but also on the basis of convenience and consumer appeal. In addition, we may also face competition from other retail fueling stores that adopt marketing strategies similar to ours by associating with non-traditional retailers, such as quick service restaurants, supermarkets, discount club stores and hypermarkets, particularly in the geographic areas in which we operate. We expect that our industry will continue to trend toward this model, resulting in increased competition to us over time. Moreover, because we do not produce or refine any of the petroleum or other refined products that we market, we compete with retail gasoline companies that have ongoing supply relationships with affiliates or former affiliates that manufacture refined products. We also compete with integrated companies that have their own production and/or refining operations that are at times able to offset losses from marketing operations with profits from producing or refining operations, and may be better positioned to withstand periods of depressed retail margins or supply shortages. In addition, we compete with other retail and wholesale gasoline marketing companies that have more extensive retail outlets and greater brand name recognition. Some of our competitors have been in existence longer than we have and have greater financial, marketing and other resources than we do. As a result, these competitors may have a greater ability to bear the economic risks inherent in all phases of our business and may be able to respond better to changes in the economy and new opportunities within the industry.
The retail gasoline industry in the United States is highly competitive due to ease of entry and constant change in the number and type of retailers offering similar products and services. With respect to merchandise, our retail sites compete with other convenience store chains, independently owned convenience stores, supermarkets, drugstores, discount clubs, gasoline service stations, mass merchants, fast food operations and other similar retail outlets. Non-traditional retailers, including supermarkets, discount club stores and mass merchants, now compete directly with retail gasoline sites. These non-traditional gasoline retailers have obtained a significant share of the gasoline market, and their market share is expected to grow, and these retailers may use promotional pricing or discounts, both at the fuel pump and in the convenience store, to encourage in-store merchandise sales and gasoline sales. In addition, some large retailers and supermarkets are adjusting their store layouts and product prices in an attempt to appeal to convenience store customers. Major competitive factors are: location, ease of access, product and service selection, gasoline brands, pricing, customer service, store appearance, cleanliness and safety.
Market Conditions and Seasonality
Market conditions in the oil and gas industry are cyclical and subject to global economic and political events and new and changing governmental regulations. Our operating results are affected by price changes in crude oil, natural gas and refined products, as well as changes in competitive conditions in the markets we serve.
Pandemics such as COVID-19 may have adverse impacts on the business as travel restrictions and changed customer behavior may cause decreased store traffic and decreased demand for fuel and convenience store offerings.
Oil prices, wholesale motor fuel costs, motor fuel sales volumes, motor fuel gross margins and merchandise sales can be subject to seasonal fluctuations. For example, consumer demand for motor fuel typically increases during the summer driving season, and typically falls during the winter months. Therefore, our revenues and/or sales volumes are typically higher in the second and third quarters of our fiscal year. Travel, recreation and construction are typically higher in these months in the geographic areas in which we operate, increasing the demand for motor fuel and merchandise that we sell. A significant change in any of these factors, including a significant decrease in consumer demand (other than typical seasonal variations), could materially affect our motor fuel and merchandise volumes, motor fuel gross profit and overall customer traffic, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Trademarks
We sell gasoline primarily under the Murphy USA® and Murphy Express brands, which are trademarks of Murphy Oil. The Trademark License Agreement that we entered into with Murphy Oil in connection with the Separation contained a trademark license granting us the right to continue to use such Murphy Oil-owned trademarks throughout the term of that agreement subject to the terms and conditions therein. As of January 29, 2021, we have added the QuickChek® brand to our portfolio.
In the highly competitive business in which we operate, our trade names, service marks and trademarks are important to distinguish our products and services from those of our competitors. We are not aware of any facts which would negatively impact our continuing use of any of the above trade names, service marks or trademarks.
Technology Systems
All of our Company stores use a standard hardware and software platform for point-of-sale (“POS”) that facilitates item level scanning of merchandise for sales and inventory, and the secure acceptance of all major payment methods - cash, check, credit, debit, fleet and mobile. Our standard approach to large scale and geographically dispersed deployments reduces total technology cost of ownership for the POS and inherently makes the system easier to use, support, and replace. This POS technology strategy reflects close alignment with our growth plan.
We use a combination of software as a service, commercial off the shelf software, and custom software applications developed using modern industry standard tools and methodologies to manage and run our business. For our financial systems, we use enterprise class systems which provide significant flexibility in managing corporate and store operations, as well as scalability for growth.
We invest in disaster recovery, system backups, redundancy, firewall, remote access security and virus and spam protection to ensure a high level of system security and availability. We have systems, business policies and processes around access controls, password expirations and file retention to ensure a high level of control within our technology network.
Environmental
We are subject to numerous federal, state and local environmental laws, regulations and permit requirements. Such environmental requirements have historically been subject to frequent change and have tended to become more stringent over time. While we strive to comply with these environmental requirements, any violation of such requirements can result in litigation, increased costs or the imposition of significant civil and criminal penalties, injunctions or other sanctions. Compliance with these environmental requirements affects our overall cost of business, including capital costs to construct, maintain and upgrade equipment and facilities, and ongoing operating expenditures. We maintain sophisticated leak detection and remote monitoring systems for underground storage tanks at most of our retail fueling stores and install up-to-date tank, piping, and monitoring systems at our new stores. We operate above ground bulk petroleum tanks at our terminal locations and have upgraded certain product lines and conduct annual monitoring to help mitigate the risk of potential soil and groundwater contamination. We allocate a portion of our capital expenditure program to comply with environmental laws and regulations, and such capital expenditures are projected to be approximately $4 million in 2021.
We could be subject to joint and several as well as strict liability for environmental contamination. Some of our current and former properties have been operated by third parties whose handling and management of hazardous materials were not under our control, and substantially all of them have or previously had motor fuel or petroleum product storage tanks. Pursuant to certain environmental laws, we could be responsible for investigating and remediating contamination relating to such sites, including impacts attributable to prior site occupants or other third parties, and for implementing remedial measures to mitigate the risk of future contamination. We may also have liability for contamination and violations of environmental laws under contractual arrangements with third parties, such as landlords and former owners of our sites, including at our sites in close proximity to Walmart stores. Contamination has been identified at certain of our current and former terminals and retail fueling stores, and we are continuing to conduct investigation and remediation activities in relation to such properties. The discovery of additional contamination or the imposition of further investigation or remediation obligations at these or other properties could result in significant costs. In some cases, we may be eligible to receive money from state “leaking petroleum storage tank” trust funds to help fund remediation. However, receipt of such payments is subject to stringent eligibility requirements and other limitations that can significantly reduce the availability of such trust fund payments and may delay or increase the duration of associated cleanups. We could also be held responsible for contamination relating to third-party sites to which we or our predecessors have sent hazardous materials for recycling or disposal. We are currently identified as a potentially responsible party in connection with one such disposal site. Any such contamination, leaks from storage tanks or other releases of regulated materials could result in claims against us by governmental authorities and other third parties for fines or penalties, natural resource damages, personal injury and property damage. From time to time, we are subject to legal and administrative proceedings governing the investigation and remediation of contamination or spills from current and past operations, including from our terminal operations and leaking petroleum storage tanks.
Consumer demand for our products may be adversely impacted by fuel economy standards as well as greenhouse gas (“GHG”) vehicle emission reduction measures. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) issued Corporate Average Fuel Economy ("CAFE") standards in 2012 that set fuel economy standards and regulated emissions of GHGs for fleets of 2017-2025 model year cars and light duty trucks. in 2016, the NHTSA finalized a rule imposing stricter penalties against those who exceed CAFE standards. In 2019, the EPA and NHTSA jointly finalized part one of the Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient ("SAFE") Vehicles Rule, which reduced the penalties for violations of CAFE standards and revoked California's authority to set its own fuel economy standards. In March 2020, EPA and NHTSA finalized part two of the SAFE Vehicles Rule, which amended and made less stringent the 2012 CAFE fuel economy and emissions standards for fleets of 2021-2026 model year cars and light duty trucks. However, in January 2021, President Biden signed an executive order that, among other things, directed heads of federal agencies to review various rules and regulations promulgated during the previous presidential administration, including parts one and two of the SAFE Vehicles Rule, indicating that a Biden administration may seek to impose stricter fuel economy and emissions standards for cars and light duty trucks and reinstate California's authority to set its own fuel economy standards. The EPA and NHTSA also regulate GHG emission and fuel efficiency standards for medium and heavy-duty vehicles and in August 2016, jointly finalized "Phase 2" vehicle and engine performance standards covering model years 2021 through 2027, which apply to semi-trucks, large pick-up trucks and vans, and all types and sizes of buses and work trucks. These and any future increases in or changes to fuel economy standards or GHG emission reduction requirements could decrease demand for our products.
Air emissions from our facilities are also subject to regulation. For example, certain of our fueling stores may be required to install and maintain vapor recovery systems to control emissions of volatile organic compounds to the air during the vehicle fueling process. Although the EPA declined to revise national ambient air quality standards for ground level ozone in December 2020, the EPA under a President Biden administration may revise such standards, which could require additional equipment upgrades and operating controls that could increase our capital and operating expenses. Any other future environmental regulatory changes applicable to our business or operations may also result in increased compliance costs.
Our business is also subject to increasingly stringent laws and regulations governing the content and characteristics of fuel. For example, the gasoline we sell generally must meet increasingly rigorous sulfur and benzene standards. In addition, renewable fuel standards generally require refiners and gasoline blenders to meet certain volume quotas or obtain representative trading credits for renewable fuels that are established as a percentage of their finished product production. Such fuel requirements and renewable fuel standards may adversely affect our wholesale fuel purchase costs.
Sale of Regulated Products
In certain areas where our retail sites are located, state or local laws limit the hours of operation for the sale of alcoholic beverages and restrict the sale of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products to persons younger than a certain age. State and local regulatory agencies have the authority to approve, revoke, suspend or deny applications for and renewals of permits and licenses relating to the sale of alcoholic beverages, as well as to issue fines to convenience stores for the improper sale of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products. Failure to comply with these laws may result in the loss of necessary licenses and the imposition of fines and penalties on us. Such a loss or imposition could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity and results of operations. In many states, retailers of alcoholic beverages have been held responsible for damages caused by intoxicated individuals who purchased alcoholic beverages from them. While the potential exposure for damage claims as a seller of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products is substantial, we have adopted procedures intended to minimize such exposure.
We also adhere to the rules governing lottery sales as determined by state lottery commissions in each state in which we make such sales.
Safety
We are subject to the requirements of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (“OSHA”) and comparable state statutes that regulate the protection of the health and safety of workers. In addition, the OSHA hazard communication standard requires that certain information be maintained about hazardous materials used or produced in our operations and that this information be provided to employees, state and local government authorities and citizens.
Other Regulatory Matters
Our retail sites are also subject to regulation by federal agencies and to licensing and regulations by state and local health, sanitation, fire and other departments relating to the development and operation of retail sites, including regulations relating to zoning and building requirements and the preparation and sale of food. Difficulties in obtaining or failures to obtain the required licenses or approvals could delay or prevent the development of a new retail site in a particular area.
Our operations are also subject to federal and state laws governing such matters as wage rates, overtime and citizenship requirements. At the federal and state levels, there are proposals under consideration from time to time to increase minimum wage rates and periods of protected leaves. We monitor such changes to ensure our continued compliance with these ever-changing regulations.
Human Capital
We know that the strength of our workforce is a significant contributor to the success of Murphy USA. As of December 31, 2020, Murphy USA had more than 9,900 employees, including 4,900 full-time employees and 5,000 part-time employees working at our stores and corporate headquarters.
We are committed to the attraction, development, retention, and safety of our employees. Our initiatives for fiscal 2020 address among other things (i) Our Principles, (ii) Inclusion and Diversity, (iii) Talent Management, (iv) Total Rewards, (v) Our COVID-19 Response, and (vi) Workforce Safety.
Our principles are at the foundation of how we operate at Murphy USA. In fact, our principles are the values that shape the character of our company. We aim to have our human capital management focus be based on these Principles of Integrity, Respect, Citizenship, and Spirit.
Integrity Respect Citizenship Spirit
Be persistently ethical and honest to foster trust. We carry ourselves with a quiet confidence because we know that - in the long run - our character will speak for itself. We always do the right thing, even when no one is watching.
Value and appreciate others. We encourage and promote diverse approaches in all our thoughts, ideas and actions. We understand the importance of the strengths, experiences and perspectives of others.
Believe in the power of good actions. We are committed to the greater good for our employees, company, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. We are responsible and involved in the communities in which we live and work as ambassadors of Murphy USA.
Strive to be the best. We are highly engaged and truly care about what we do and how we are perceived. We have a strong desire to exceed our customers’ expectations. We work closely with each other to drive our success through reliable and consistent execution.
We are committed to living our principles, including "Respect" specifically as it relates to inclusion and diversity. We are intentional about working towards increasing visible and invisible diversity throughout Murphy USA. For instance:
•We partner with universities to attract diverse talent.
•We identify critical roles and potential successors with our succession management program.
•We strive to lift up talent through differentiated and personalized development.
We employ thoughtful talent management strategies, including annual succession planning, bi-annual people reviews, promotion review committees, mid-year and annual performance reviews, and cohort performance review calibrations.
We are dedicated to helping our employees succeed professionally through learning and development.
•Our field teams have comprehensive functional training programs at each level.
•We have individual development plans (IDPs) and an eLearning platform for employee-driven development.
•We provide leadership development opportunities for all leaders.
•We provide tuition reimbursement for home office employees and store managers.
•We sponsor employees seeking to earn their GED.
We have demonstrated a history of investing in our employees by offering competitive salaries and wages. We have benefit packages available at all levels of the organization. The benefit package offered to our full-time employees is:
•Comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance.
•Parental leave is available to all new parents for birth, adoption or foster placement.
•An Employee Assistance Program
•Profit sharing
•401K program with matching up to 6%
•Paid time off including: vacation, sick, bereavement, and holidays
We value the health, well-being and safety of our employees, customers and communities. Our executive leadership team initiated a COVID-19 Crisis Response Team to address the critical safety, operational and business risks associated with the pandemic. In March 2020, we launched a voluntary work-from-home plan available to virtually all home office based employees and revised critical work practices to promote a safe work environment for over 9,400 field-based employees and our customers. We established a temporary Emergency Sick Pay program for store-level employees who were negatively impacted by COVID-19.
We are committed to keeping our employees and customers safe through fostering and maintaining a strong safety culture and emphasizing the importance of our employees’ role in identifying, mitigating and communicating safety risks. We have implemented a rapid response program to ensure safety events (i.e., slip and falls, medical emergencies, and vehicle accidents) are escalated quickly and responded to efficiently.
Properties
Our headquarters of approximately 120,000 square feet is located at 200 Peach Street, El Dorado, Arkansas. We also own and operate two other office buildings in El Dorado, Arkansas that house our store support center and technology services personnel as of December 31, 2020 . We have numerous owned and leased properties for our retail fueling stores as described under “Description of Our Business,” as well as wholly-owned product distribution terminals.
Website access to SEC Reports
Interested parties may obtain the Company’s public disclosures filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including Form 10-K, Form 10-Q, Form 8-K and other documents, by accessing the Investor Relations section of Murphy USA Inc.’s website at ir.corporate.murphyusa.com.
Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to these reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 are available on our website, free of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Alternatively, you may access these reports at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Item 1A. RISK FACTORS
You should carefully consider each of the following risks and all of the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows could be materially and adversely affected by any of these risks, and, as a result, the trading price of our common stock could decline.
Risks Relating to our Company
Our operations present hazards and risks, which may not be fully covered by insurance, if insured. If a significant accident or event occurs for which we are not adequately insured, our operations and financial results could be adversely affected.
The scope and nature of our operations present a variety of operational hazards and risks, including explosions, fires, toxic emissions, and natural catastrophes that must be managed through continual oversight and control. These and other risks are present throughout our operations. As protection against these hazards and risks, we maintain insurance against many, but not all, potential losses or liabilities arising from such risks. Uninsured losses and liabilities arising from operating risks could reduce the funds available to us for capital and investment spending and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Our indebtedness could restrict our business and adversely impact our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows; our leverage could increase the overall cost of debt funding and decrease the overall debt capacity and commercial credit available to us in the future.
We have debt obligations that could restrict our business and adversely impact our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. This outstanding indebtedness could have significant consequences to our future operations, including:
•making it more difficult for us to meet our payment and other obligations under our outstanding debt;
•resulting in an event of default if we fail to comply with the financial and other restrictive covenants contained in our debt agreements, which event of default could result in all of our debt becoming immediately due and payable;
•reducing the availability of our cash flow to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes, and limiting our ability to obtain additional financing for these purposes;
•limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, and increasing our vulnerability to, changes in our business, the industry in which we operate and the general economy; and
•placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less debt or are less leveraged.
Any of the above-listed factors could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, our credit facilities and the indentures that govern the notes include restrictive covenants that, subject to certain exceptions and qualifications, restrict or limit our ability and the ability of our restricted subsidiaries to, among other things, incur additional indebtedness, pay dividends, make certain investments, sell certain assets and enter into certain strategic transactions, including mergers and acquisitions. These covenants and restrictions could affect our ability to operate our business, and may limit our ability to react to market conditions or take advantage of potential business opportunities as they arise.
Our leverage may increase the overall cost of debt funding and decrease the overall debt capacity and commercial credit available to us. Our leverage could increase with additional borrowings on our shelf registration statement. We have below investment-grade ratings on our notes from Moody’s and S&P while our credit facilities are rated investment grade. Our credit ratings could be lowered or withdrawn entirely by a ratings agency if, in its judgment, the circumstances warrant. If our existing ratings are lowered, or otherwise we do not obtain an investment grade rating in the future for the notes, or if we do and a rating agency were to downgrade us again to below investment grade, our borrowing costs would increase and our funding sources could decrease. Actual or anticipated changes or downgrades in our ratings, including any announcement that our ratings are under review for a downgrade, could adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition and operating results.
Discontinuation, reform or replacement of LIBOR may adversely affect our variable rate debt.
Borrowings under our credit facilities are at variable rates of interest, primarily based on London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"). LIBOR tends to fluctuate based on general interest rates, rates set by the U.S. Federal Reserve Board and other central banks, the supply of and demand for credit in the London interbank market, and general economic conditions. In July 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority in the U.K. announced a desire to
phase out LIBOR as a benchmark by the end of 2021. In November 2020, it was announced that one-week and two-month U.S. dollar denominated LIBOR rates will retire December 31, 2021, and the overnight, one-month, three month, six-month and 12-month U.S. dollar LIBOR rates will continue to be published through June 2023. Financial industry working groups are developing replacement rates and methodologies to transition existing agreements that depend on LIBOR as a reference rate; however, we can provide no assurance that market-accepted rates and transition methodologies will be available and finalized at the time of LIBOR cessation. If clear market standards and transition methodologies have not been developed by the time LIBOR becomes unavailable, we may have difficulty reaching agreement on acceptable replacement rates under our credit facilities. If we are unable to negotiate replacement rates on favorable terms, it could have a material adverse effect on our earnings and cash flows.
Our ability to meet our payment obligations under the notes and our other debt depends on our ability to generate significant cash flow in the future.
Our ability to meet our payment and other obligations under our debt instruments, including the notes, depends on our ability to generate significant cash flow in the future. This, to some extent, is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative and regulatory factors as well as other factors that are beyond our control. We cannot provide assurance that our business will generate cash flow from operations, or that future borrowings will be available to us under our credit agreement or any future credit facilities or otherwise, in an amount sufficient to enable us to meet our payment obligations under the notes and our other debt and to fund other liquidity needs. If we are not able to generate sufficient cash flow to service our debt obligations, we may need to refinance or restructure our debt, including the notes, sell assets, reduce or delay capital investments, or seek to raise additional capital. If we are unable to implement one or more of these alternatives, we may not be able to meet our payment obligations under the notes and our other debt.
Despite our current indebtedness levels, we may be able to incur substantially more debt. This could exacerbate further the risks associated with our leverage.
We and our subsidiaries may incur substantial additional indebtedness, including secured indebtedness, in the future, subject to the terms of the indentures governing the notes and our credit agreement that limit our ability to do so. Such additional indebtedness may include additional notes, which will also be guaranteed by the guarantors, to the extent permitted by the indentures and our credit agreement. Although the indentures limit our ability and the ability of our subsidiaries to create liens securing indebtedness, there are significant exceptions to these limitations that will allow us and our subsidiaries to secure significant amounts of indebtedness without equally and ratably securing the notes. If we or our subsidiaries incur secured indebtedness and such secured indebtedness is either accelerated or becomes subject to a bankruptcy, liquidation or reorganization, our and our subsidiaries' assets would be used to satisfy obligations with respect to the indebtedness secured thereby before any payment could be made on the notes that are not similarly secured. In addition, the indentures governing the Senior Notes will not prevent us or our subsidiaries from incurring other liabilities that do not constitute indebtedness. If new debt or other liabilities are added to our current debt levels, the related risks that we now face could intensify.
In connection with our Separation from Murphy Oil, Murphy Oil has agreed to indemnify us for certain liabilities and we have agreed to indemnify Murphy Oil for certain liabilities. If we are required to act under these indemnities to Murphy Oil, we may need to divert cash to meet those obligations and our financial results could be negatively impacted. The Murphy Oil indemnity may not be sufficient to insure us against the full amount of liabilities for which it will be allocated responsibility, and Murphy Oil may not be able to satisfy its indemnification obligations to us in the future.
Pursuant to the Separation and Distribution Agreement ("the Separation") and certain other agreements with Murphy Oil, Murphy Oil has agreed to indemnify us for certain liabilities, and we have agreed to indemnify Murphy Oil for certain liabilities. Indemnities that we may be required to provide Murphy Oil are not subject to any cap, may be significant and could negatively impact our business, particularly indemnities relating to our actions that could impact the tax-free nature of the distribution. Third parties could also seek to hold us responsible for any of the liabilities that Murphy Oil has agreed to retain, and under certain circumstances, we may be subject to continuing contingent liabilities of Murphy Oil following the Separation. Further, Murphy Oil may not be able to fully satisfy its indemnification obligations. Moreover, even if we ultimately succeed in recovering from Murphy Oil any amounts for which we are held liable, we may be temporarily required to bear these losses ourselves. Each of these risks could negatively affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Risks Relating to Our Business
Volatility in the global prices of oil and petroleum products and general economic conditions that are largely out of our control, as well as seasonal variations in fuel pricing, can significantly affect our operating results.
Our net income is significantly affected by changes in the margins on retail and wholesale gasoline marketing operations. Oil and domestic wholesale gasoline markets are volatile. General political conditions, acts of war or terrorism, instability in oil producing regions, particularly in the Middle East and South America, and the value of U.S. dollars relative to other foreign currencies, particularly those of oil producing nations, could significantly affect oil supplies and wholesale gasoline costs. In addition, the supply of gasoline and our wholesale purchase costs could be adversely affected in the event of a shortage, which could result from, among other things, lack of capacity at oil refineries, sustained increase in global demand or the fact that our gasoline contracts do not guarantee an uninterrupted, unlimited supply of gasoline. Our wholesale purchase costs could also be adversely affected by increasingly stringent regulations regarding the content and characteristics of fuel products. Significant increases and volatility in wholesale gasoline costs could result in lower gasoline gross margins per gallon. This volatility makes it extremely difficult to predict the effect that future wholesale cost fluctuations will have on our operating results and financial condition in future periods.
Except in limited cases, we typically do not seek to hedge any significant portion of our exposure to the effects of changing prices of commodities. Dramatic increases in oil prices reduce retail gasoline gross margins, because wholesale gasoline costs typically increase faster than retailers are able to pass them along to customers. We purchase refined products, particularly gasoline, needed to supply our retail stores. Therefore, our most significant costs are subject to volatility of prices for these commodities. Our ability to successfully manage operating costs is important because we have little or no influence on the sales prices or regional and worldwide consumer demand for oil and gasoline. Furthermore, oil prices, wholesale motor fuel costs, motor fuel sales volumes, motor fuel gross margins and merchandise sales can be subject to seasonal fluctuations. For example, consumer demand for motor fuel typically increases during the summer driving season, and typically falls during the winter months. Travel, recreation and construction are typically higher in these months in the geographic areas in which we operate, increasing the demand for motor fuel and merchandise that we sell. Therefore, our revenues and/or sales volumes are typically higher in the second and third quarters of our fiscal year. A significant change in any of these factors, including a significant decrease in consumer demand (other than typical seasonal variations), could materially affect our motor fuel and merchandise volumes, motor fuel gross profit and overall customer traffic, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Further, recessionary economic conditions, higher interest rates, higher gasoline and other energy costs, inflation, increases in commodity prices, higher levels of unemployment, higher consumer debt levels, higher tax rates and other changes in tax laws or other economic factors may affect consumer spending or buying habits, and could adversely affect the demand for products we sell at our retail sites. Unfavorable economic conditions, higher gasoline prices and unemployment levels can affect consumer confidence, spending patterns and vehicle miles driven. These factors can lead to sales declines in both gasoline and general merchandise, and in turn have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Walmart continues to be a key relationship with regard to our Murphy USA network.
At December 31, 2020, most of our 1,503 Company stores were located in close proximity to Walmart Supercenter stores. Therefore, our relationship with Walmart, the continued goodwill of Walmart and the integrity of Walmart’s brand name in the retail marketplace are all important drivers for our business. Any deterioration in our relationship with Walmart could have an adverse effect on operations of the stores that are branded Murphy USA and participate in a discount. In addition, our competitive posture could be weakened by negative changes at Walmart. Many of our Company stores benefit from customer traffic generated by Walmart retail stores, and if the customer traffic through these host stores decreases due to the economy or for any other reason, our sales could be materially and adversely affected.
The current level of revenue that is generated from RINs may not be sustainable.
Murphy USA's business is impacted by its ability to generate revenues from capturing and subsequently selling Renewable Identification Numbers ("RINs"), a practice enabled through the blending of petroleum-based fuels with renewable fuels. RIN prices also have an impact on our cost of goods sold for petroleum products, which can be positive or negative depending on the movement of RIN prices. The market price for RINs fluctuates based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to governmental and regulatory action and market dynamics. In
2020, RIN prices fluctuated more widely along with the volatile wholesale fuel supply market due to COVID pressures and continued increasing into year-end as the new administration prepared to take office in Washington D.C. Although a decline in RIN prices could have a material impact on the Company's revenues, Murphy USA's business model is not dependent on its ability to generate revenues from the sale of RINs.
Current litigation and future rulemaking could impact the present point of obligation under the Renewable Fuel Standard ("RFS") program. The RFS program is the regulatory means by which the federal government requires the introduction of an increasing amount of renewable fuel into the fuel supply. As it is, refiners are obligated to obtain-either by blending biofuels into petroleum-based fuels or through purchase on the open market--and then retire with the federal government RINs to satisfy their individual obligations. However, pending litigation and soon-to-begin EPA rulemaking activities concerning the RFS standard could potentially open the door to a change in the point of obligation. If the point of obligation were to be shifted from refiners to blenders, Murphy USA would potentially have to utilize the RINs that it obtains through its blending activities to satisfy a new obligation and would therefore be unable to sell those RINs to third parties. This could have an impact on the Company's current business model, unless it were able to pass along these costs to consumers or other parties.
We are exposed to risks associated with the interruption of supply and increased costs as a result of our reliance on third-party supply and transportation of refined products.
We utilize key product supply and wholesale assets, including our pipeline positions and product distribution terminals, to supply our retail fueling stores. Much of our competitive advantage arises out of these proprietary arrangements which, if disrupted, could materially and adversely affect us. In addition to our own operational risks discussed above, we could experience interruptions of supply or increases in costs to deliver refined products to market if the ability of the pipelines or vessels to transport petroleum or refined products is disrupted because of weather events, accidents, governmental regulations or third-party actions. Furthermore, at some of our locations there are very few suppliers for fuel in that market.
Changes in credit card expenses could reduce our profitability, especially on gasoline.
A significant portion of our retail sales involve payment using credit cards. We are assessed credit card fees as a percentage of transaction amounts and not as a fixed dollar amount or percentage of our gross margins. Higher gasoline prices result in higher credit card expenses, and an increase in credit card use or an increase in credit card fees would have a similar effect. Therefore, credit card fees charged on gasoline purchases that are more expensive as a result of higher gasoline prices are not necessarily accompanied by higher gross margins. In fact, such fees may cause lower profitability. Lower income on gasoline sales caused by higher credit card fees may decrease our overall profitability and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Walmart retains certain rights in its agreements with us, which may adversely impact our ability to conduct our business.
Our owned properties that were purchased from Walmart are subject to Easements with Covenants and Restrictions Affecting Land (the “ECRs”) between us and Walmart. The ECRs impose customary restrictions on the use of our properties, which Walmart has the right to enforce. The ECRs also provide that if we propose to sell a fueling station property or any portion thereof (other than in connection with the sale of all or substantially all of our properties that were purchased from Walmart or in connection with a bona fide financing), Walmart has a right of first refusal to purchase such property or portion thereof on similar terms. Subject to certain exceptions (including a merger in which we participate, the transfer of any of our securities or a change in control of us), if we market for sale to a third party all or substantially all of our properties that were purchased from Walmart, or if we receive an unsolicited offer to purchase such properties that we intend to accept, we are required to notify Walmart. Walmart then has the right, within 90 days of receipt of such notice, to make an offer to purchase such properties. If Walmart makes such an offer, for a period of one year we will generally only be permitted to accept third-party offers where the net consideration to us would be greater than that offered by Walmart.
The ECRs also prohibit us from transferring all or substantially all of our fueling station properties that were purchased from Walmart to a “competitor” of Walmart, as reasonably determined by Walmart. The term “competitor” is generally defined in the ECRs as an entity that owns, operates or controls grocery stores or supermarkets, wholesale club operations similar to that of a Sam’s Club, discount department stores or other discount retailers similar to any of the various Walmart store prototypes or pharmacy or drug stores.
Similarly, some of our leased properties are subject to certain rights retained by Walmart. Our master lease agreement states that if Murphy Oil USA, Inc. is acquired or becomes party to any merger or consolidation that results in a material change in the management of the stores, Walmart will have the option to purchase the stores at fair market value. The master lease also prohibits us from selling all or any portion of a station without first offering to sell all or such portion to Walmart on the same terms and conditions. These provisions may restrict our ability to conduct our business on the terms and in the manner we consider most favorable and may adversely affect our future growth.
An inability to maintain a multi-year new store project pipeline may cause our Company's growth to slow in 2021 and beyond.
While we have a high confidence level that our growth of up to 55 new stores and up to 25 raze-and-rebuild stores is secure due to our existing pipeline of land closures, the future development relies on the continued growth of our project pipeline. We have a very active Asset Development group that works to focus on our key target areas to locate suitable traffic count locations for this future growth. If the Asset Development group is unable to locate suitable locations or is unable to close the purchase of those locations in a timely fashion, the Company could find that it does not have sufficient land to fulfill its pipeline.
We currently have one primary supplier for over 81% of our merchandise. A disruption in supply could have a material effect on our business.
In 2020, over 81% of our merchandise, including most tobacco products and grocery items, was purchased from a single wholesale grocer, Core-Mark. In January 2021, we renewed and extended for another five years a supply contract with Core-Mark that began in late January 2016. If Core-Mark is unable to fulfill its obligations under our contract, alternative suppliers that we could use in the event of a disruption may not be immediately available. A disruption in supply could have a material effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We may be unable to protect or maintain our rights in the trademarks we use in our business.
We expect to use the Murphy USA® and Murphy Express trademarks under the Trademark License Agreement that we entered into with Murphy Oil, which will continue to own those trademarks. Murphy Oil’s actions and our actions to protect our rights in those trademarks may not be adequate to prevent others from using similar marks or otherwise violating our rights in those trademarks. Furthermore, our right to use those trademarks is limited to the marketing business and can be terminated by Murphy Oil upon the occurrence of certain events, such as our uncured material breach, insolvency or change of control.
Capital financing may not always be available to fund our activities.
We usually must spend and risk a significant amount of capital to fund our activities. Although most capital needs are funded from operating cash flow, the timing of cash flows from operations and capital funding needs may not always coincide, and the levels of cash flow may not fully cover capital funding requirements.
From time to time, we may need to supplement our cash generated from operations with proceeds from financing activities. We have entered into a credit facility to provide us with available financing for working capital and other general corporate purposes. This credit facility is intended to meet any ongoing cash needs in excess of internally generated cash flows. Uncertainty and volatility in financial markets may materially impact the ability of the participating financial institutions to fund their commitments to us under our credit facility. Accordingly, we may not be able to obtain the full amount of the funds available under our credit facility to satisfy our cash requirements, and our failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial position. Further, since the credit facility is secured by receivables and inventories, low commodity prices can limit the borrowing base to an amount substantially less than its ceiling as the resulting collateral for the loan is required to be valued at then current pricing on a monthly basis.
We could be adversely affected if we are not able to attract and retain highly qualified senior personnel.
We are dependent on our ability to attract and retain highly qualified senior personnel. If, for any reason, we are not able to attract and retain qualified senior personnel, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be adversely affected.
Risks Relating to the QuickChek Acquisition
The anticipated benefits of the QuickChek acquisition may not be realized or those benefits may take longer to realize than expected.
The success of the QuickChek acquisition will depend, to a large extent, on our ability to realize the anticipated benefits and cost savings derived from the transaction and our ability to integrate the two organizations and businesses. The combination of two independent businesses is a complex, costly, and time-consuming process. As a result, we and QuickChek have devoted significant management attention and resources prior to closing to prepare for integrating, and we will devote significant management attention and resources post-closing to integrate the business practices and operations of both organizations. The integration process may disrupt the businesses and, if implemented ineffectively, would impair the realization of the full expected benefits.
Following completion of the QuickChek acquisition, we may not be able to maintain the growth rate, levels of revenue, earnings, or operating efficiency that we and QuickChek have achieved or might achieve separately. In addition, we continue to evaluate our estimates of synergies to be realized from the QuickChek acquisition, so our actual cost-savings could differ materially from our current estimates. We cannot give assurance that we will achieve the full amount of cost-savings on the schedule anticipated or at all.
A failure to meet the challenges involved in integrating the two businesses and to realize the anticipated benefits of the transaction could cause an interruption of, or a loss of momentum in, the activities of the post-acquisition company and could adversely affect its results of operations. In addition, the overall integration of the businesses may result in material unanticipated problems, expenses, liabilities, competitive responses, loss of customer and other business relationships, and diversion of management's attention. The difficulties of combining the operations of the companies include, among others:
•the diversion of management's attention to integration matters;
•difficulties in achieving anticipated cost savings, synergies, business opportunities and growth;
•difficulties in conforming standards, controls, procedures and accounting and other policies, business cultures and compensation structures between the two companies;
•difficulties in the assimilation of employees;
•difficulties in managing the expanded operations of a significantly larger and more complex company;
•challenges in keeping existing customers and obtaining new customers;
•potential unknown liabilities, adverse consequences, and unforeseen increased expenses and unanticipated competitive responses associated with the QuickChek acquisition; and
•coordinating a more geographically dispersed organization.
Many of these factors will be outside of our control and any one of them could result in increased costs, decreases in the amount of expected revenues, and diversion of management's time and energy, which could materially impact the business, financial condition, and results of operations of the post-acquisition company. In addition, even if our operations are integrated successfully with QuickChek, the full benefits of the transaction may not be realized, including the synergies, cost savings, or sales or growth opportunities that are expected. These benefits may not be achieved within the anticipated time frame, or at all. Further, additional unanticipated costs may be incurred in the integration of our business with QuickChek. An inability to realize the full extent of, or any of, the anticipated benefits of the QuickChek acquisition, as well as any delays encountered in the integration process, could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. All of these factors could cause dilution to our earnings per share, decrease or delay the expected accretive effect of the transactions, and negatively impact the price of our common stock.
We may need to recognize impairment charges related to goodwill, identified intangible assets and fixed assets.
We expect to have balances of goodwill and identified intangible assets as a result of the QuickChek acquisition. We are required to test goodwill and any other intangible assets with an indefinite life for possible impairment on the same date each year and on an interim basis if there are indicators of a possible impairment. We are also required to evaluate amortizable intangible assets and fixed assets for impairment if there are indicators of a possible impairment.
There is significant judgement required in the analysis of a potential impairment of goodwill, identified intangible assets and fixed assets. If, as a result of a general economic slowdown, deterioration in one or more of the markets in which we operate or impairment in our financial performance and/or future outlook, the estimated fair value of our long-lived assets decreases, we may determine that one or more of our long-lived assets is impaired. An impairment charge would be determined based on the estimated fair value of the assets and any such impairment charge could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We have incurred, and expect to continue to incur, significant transaction costs in connection with the QuickChek acquisition.
In connection with the QuickChek acquisition, we have incurred and expect to continue to incur significant costs and expenses, including financial advisory, legal, accounting, consulting and other advisory fees and expenses, reorganization and restructuring costs, employee benefit-related expenses, printing expenses and other related charges. In addition, we may incur significant one-time charges as a result of costs associated with the QuickChek acquisition. We will not be able to quantify the exact amount of these charges or the period in which they will be incurred until after the QuickChek acquisition is completed. While we have assumed that a certain level of expenses will be incurred in connection with the QuickChek acquisition, there are many factors that could affect the total amount or timing of the integration and implementation expenses. There may also be additional unanticipated significant costs in connection with the QuickChek acquisition that we do not anticipate and may not be able to recoup. These costs and expenses could adversely affect our results of operations in the period in which such expenses are recorded or our cash flow in the period in which any related costs are actually paid, and could reduce the benefits and income we expect to achieve from the QuickChek acquisition.
Risks Relating to Our Industry
Pandemics or disease outbreaks, such as the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19 virus"), may disrupt consumption and trade patterns, supply chains and normal business activities, which could materially affect our operations and results of operations.
Pandemics or disease outbreaks such as COVID-19 virus may continue to have depressed demand for our fuel and convenience merchandise products because quarantines may inhibit the ability or need for our customers to shop with us. We also may experience disruptions of logistics necessary to obtain and deliver products to our stores and our customers as we rely on third-parties to perform these vital functions to our business.
In addition, we could experience issues with our workforce that limit our ability to continue to operate our stores at their normal hours of operations or experience government intervention that requires us to reduce hours or close certain locations. If a significant percentage of our workforce is unable to work, including because of illness or travel or government restrictions in connection with pandemics or disease outbreaks, our operations may be negatively impacted. In addition, pandemics or disease outbreaks could result in an economic downturn that could adversely affect the economies and financial markets, resulting in an economic downturn that could affect customers' demand for our products and services.
We operate in a highly competitive industry, which could adversely affect us in many ways, including our profitability, our ability to grow, and our ability to manage our businesses.
We operate in the oil and gas industry and experience intense competition from other independent retail and wholesale gasoline marketing companies. The U.S. marketing petroleum business is highly competitive, particularly with regard to accessing and marketing petroleum and other refined products. We compete with other chains of retail fuel stores for fuel supply and in the retail sale of refined products to end consumers, primarily on the basis of price, but also on the basis of convenience and consumer appeal. In addition, we may also face competition from other retail fueling stores that adopt marketing strategies similar to ours by associating with non-traditional retailers, such as supermarkets, discount club stores and hypermarkets, particularly in the geographic areas in which we operate. We expect that our industry will continue to trend toward this model, resulting in increased competition to us over time. Moreover, because we do not produce or refine any of the petroleum or other refined products that we market, we compete with retail gasoline companies that have ongoing supply relationships with affiliates or former affiliates that manufacture refined products. We also compete with integrated companies that have their own production and/or refining operations that are at times able to offset losses from marketing operations with profits from producing or refining operations, and may be better positioned to withstand periods of depressed retail margins or supply shortages. In addition, we compete with other retail and wholesale gasoline
marketing companies that have more extensive retail outlets and greater brand name recognition. Some of our competitors have been in existence longer than we have and have greater financial, marketing and other resources than we do. As a result, these competitors may have a greater ability to bear the economic risks inherent in all phases of our business and may be able to respond better to changes in the economy and new opportunities within the industry. Such competition could adversely affect us, including our profitability, our ability to grow and our ability to manage our business.
In addition, the retail gasoline industry in the United States is highly competitive due to ease of entry and constant change in the number and type of retailers offering similar products and services. With respect to merchandise, our retail sites compete with other convenience store chains, independently owned convenience stores, supermarkets, drugstores, discount clubs, gasoline service stations, mass merchants, fast food operations and other similar retail outlets. Non-traditional retailers, including supermarkets, discount club stores and mass merchants, now compete directly with retail gasoline sites. These non-traditional gasoline retailers have obtained a significant share of the gasoline market, and their market share is expected to grow, and these retailers may use promotional pricing or discounts, both at the fuel pump and in the convenience store, to encourage in-store merchandise sales and gasoline sales. In addition, some large retailers and supermarkets are adjusting their store layouts and product prices in an attempt to appeal to convenience store customers. Major competitive factors include: location, ease of access, product and service selection, gasoline brands, pricing, customer service, store appearance, cleanliness and safety. Competition from these retailers may reduce our market share and our revenues, and the resulting impact on our business and results of operations could be materially adverse.
Changes in consumer behavior and travel as a result of changing economic conditions, the development of alternative energy technologies or otherwise could affect our business.
In the retail gasoline industry, customer traffic is generally driven by consumer preferences and spending trends, growth rates for commercial truck traffic and trends in travel and weather. Changes in economic conditions generally, or in the regions in which we operate, could adversely affect consumer spending patterns and travel in our markets. In particular, weakening economic conditions may result in decreases in miles driven and discretionary consumer spending and travel, which affect spending on gasoline and convenience items. In addition, changes in the types of products and services demanded by consumers may adversely affect our merchandise sales and gross margin. Additionally, negative publicity or perception surrounding gasoline suppliers could adversely affect their reputation and brand image, which may negatively affect our gasoline sales and gross margin. Our success depends on our ability to anticipate and respond in a timely manner to changing consumer demands and preferences while continuing to sell products and services that remain relevant to the consumer and thus will positively impact overall retail gross margin.
Similarly, advanced technology, improved fuel efficiency and increased use of “green” automobiles (e.g., those automobiles that do not use gasoline or that are powered by hybrid engines) would reduce demand for gasoline. Developments regarding climate change and the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change and the environment may lead to increased use of “green” automobiles. Other market and social initiatives such as public and private initiatives that aim to subsidize the development of non-fossil fuel energy sources may reduce the competitiveness of gasoline. Consequently, attitudes toward gasoline and its relationship to the environment may significantly affect our sales and ability to market our products. Reduced consumer demand for gasoline could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Our operations and earnings have been and will continue to be affected by worldwide political developments.
Many governments, including those that are members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”), unilaterally intervene at times in the orderly market of petroleum and natural gas produced in their countries through such actions as setting prices, determining rates of production, and controlling who may buy and sell the production. In addition, prices and availability of petroleum, natural gas and refined products could be influenced by political unrest and by various governmental policies to restrict or increase petroleum usage and supply. Other governmental actions that could affect our operations and earnings include tax changes, royalty increases and regulations concerning: currency fluctuations, protection and remediation of the environment, concerns over the possibility of global warming being affected by human activity including the production and use of hydrocarbon energy, restraints and controls on imports and exports, safety, and relationships between employers and employees. As a retail gasoline marketing company, we are significantly affected by these factors. Because these and other factors are subject to changes caused by governmental and political considerations and are often made in response to changing internal and worldwide economic conditions and to actions of other governments or
specific events, it is not practical to attempt to predict the effects of such factors on our future operations and earnings.
Our business is subject to operational hazards and risks normally associated with the marketing of petroleum products.
We operate in many different locations around the United States. The occurrence of an event, including but not limited to acts of nature such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and other forms of severe weather, and mechanical equipment failures, industrial accidents, fires, explosions, acts of war and intentional terrorist attacks could result in damage to our facilities, and the resulting interruption and loss of associated revenues; environmental pollution or contamination; and personal injury, including death, for which we could be deemed to be liable, and which could subject us to substantial fines and/or claims for punitive damages.
We store gasoline in storage tanks at our retail sites. Our operations are subject to significant hazards and risks inherent in storing gasoline. These hazards and risks include, but are not limited to, fires, explosions, spills, discharges and other releases, any of which could result in distribution difficulties and disruptions, environmental pollution, fines imposed by governmental agencies or cleanup obligations, personal injury or wrongful death claims and other damage to our properties and the properties of others. Any such event could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Certain of our assets such as gasoline terminals and certain retail fueling stores lie near the U.S. coastline and are vulnerable to hurricane and tropical storm damages, which may result in shutdowns. The U.S. hurricane season runs from June through November, but the most severe storm activities usually occur in late summer. Moreover, it should be noted that scientists have predicted that increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere may produce climate changes that have significant physical effects, such as increased frequency and severity of storms, droughts, and floods and other climatic events. If such effects were to occur, our operations could be adversely affected. Although we maintain insurance for certain of these risks as described below, due to policy deductibles and possible coverage limits, weather-related risks are not fully insured.
We are subject to various environmental laws, regulations and permit requirements, which could expose us to significant expenditures, liabilities or obligations and reduce product demand.
We are subject to stringent federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations governing, among other things, the generation, storage, handling, use and transportation of petroleum products and hazardous materials; the emission and discharge of such substances into the environment; the content and characteristics of fuel products; the process safety of our facilities; and human health and safety. Pursuant to such environmental laws and regulations, we are also required to obtain permits from governmental authorities for certain of our operations. While we strive to abide by these requirements, we cannot assure you that we have been or will be at all times in compliance with such laws, regulations and permits. If we violate or fail to comply with these requirements, we could be subject to litigation, costs, fines or other sanctions. Environmental requirements, and the enforcement and interpretation thereof, change frequently and have generally become more stringent over time. Compliance with existing and future environmental laws, regulations and permits may require significant expenditures. In addition, to the extent fuel content and characteristic standards increase our wholesale purchase costs, we may be adversely affected if we are unable to recover such costs in our pricing.
We could be subject to joint and several as well as strict liability for environmental contamination, without regard to fault or the legality of our conduct. In particular, we could be liable for contamination relating to properties that we own, lease or operate or that we or our predecessors previously owned, leased or operated. Substantially all of these properties have or in the past had storage tanks to store motor fuel or petroleum products. Leaks from such tanks may impact soil or groundwater and could result in substantial costs. We could also be held responsible for contamination relating to third-party sites to which we or our predecessors have sent regulated materials. In addition to potentially significant investigation and remediation costs, any such contamination, leaks from storage tanks or other releases of regulated materials can give rise to claims from governmental authorities and other third parties for fines or penalties, natural resource damages, personal injury and property damage.
Our business is also affected by fuel economy standards and GHG vehicle emission reduction measures. As such fuel economy and GHG reduction requirements become more stringent over time, demand for our products may be adversely affected. In addition, some of our facilities are subject to GHG regulation. We are currently required to report annual GHG emissions from certain of our operations, and additional GHG emission-related requirements that may affect our business have been finalized or are in various phases of discussion or
implementation. Any existing or future GHG emission requirements could result in increased operating costs and additional compliance expenses.
Our expenditures, liabilities and obligations relating to environmental matters could have a material adverse effect on our business, product demand, reputation, results of operations and financial condition.
Future tobacco legislation, potential court rulings affecting the tobacco industry, campaigns to discourage smoking, increases in tobacco taxes and wholesale cost increases of tobacco products could have a material adverse impact on our retail operating revenues and gross margin.
Sales of tobacco products have historically accounted for an important portion of our total sales of convenience store merchandise. Significant increases in wholesale cigarette costs and tax increases on tobacco products, as well as future legislation, potential rulings in court cases impacting the tobacco industry, and national and local campaigns to discourage smoking in the United States, may have an adverse effect on the demand for tobacco products, and therefore reduce our revenues and profits. Also, increasing regulations, including those for e-cigarettes and vapor products could offset some of the recent gains we have experienced from selling these products. Governing bodies continue to consider banning flavored tobacco products. If such efforts are successful, it could have a further negative impact on our tobacco sales. These factors could materially and adversely affect our retail price of cigarettes, tobacco unit volume and sales, merchandise gross margin and overall customer traffic. Reduced sales of tobacco products or smaller gross margins on the sales we make could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Currently, major cigarette manufacturers offer substantial rebates to retailers. We include these rebates as a component of our gross margin. In the event these rebates are no longer offered, or decreased, our profit from cigarette sales will decrease accordingly. In addition, reduced retail display allowances on cigarettes offered by cigarette manufacturers would negatively affect gross margins. These factors could materially affect our retail price of cigarettes, cigarette unit volume and revenues, merchandise gross margin and overall customer traffic, which could in turn have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Our retail operations are subject to extensive government laws and regulations, and the cost of compliance with such laws and regulations can be material.
Our retail operations are subject to extensive local, state and federal governmental laws and regulations relating to, among other things, the sale of alcohol, tobacco, lottery and lotto, employment conditions, including minimum wage requirements, and public accessibility requirements. The cost of compliance with these laws and regulations can have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, failure to comply with local, state and federal laws and regulations to which our operations are subject may result in penalties and costs that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
In certain areas where our retail sites are located, state or local laws limit the retail sites’ hours of operation or sale of alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, possible inhalants and lottery tickets, in particular to minors. Failure to comply with these laws could adversely affect our revenues and results of operations because these state and local regulatory agencies have the power to revoke, suspend or deny applications for and renewals of permits and licenses relating to the sale of these products or to seek other remedies, such as the imposition of fines or other penalties.
Regulations related to wages also affect our business. Any appreciable increase in the statutory minimum wage or changes in overtime rules would result in an increase in our labor costs and such cost increase, or the penalties for failing to comply with such statutory minimums, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Any changes in the laws or regulations described above that are adverse to us and our properties could affect our operating and financial performance. In addition, new regulations are proposed from time to time which, if adopted, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Future consumer or other litigation could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Our retail operations are characterized by a high volume of customer traffic and by transactions involving a wide array of product selections. These operations carry a higher exposure to consumer litigation risk when compared to the operations of companies operating in many other industries. Consequently, we have been, and may in the future be from time to time, involved in lawsuits seeking cash settlements for alleged personal injuries, property damages and other business-related matters, as well as energy content, off-specification gasoline, products liability and other legal actions in the ordinary course of our business. While these actions are generally routine in nature and incidental to the operation of our business, if our assessment of any action or actions should prove inaccurate, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be adversely affected. For more information about our legal matters, see Note 17 “Contingencies” to the consolidated historical financial statements for the three years ended December 31, 2020 included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Further, adverse publicity about consumer or other litigation may negatively affect us, regardless of whether the allegations are true, by discouraging customers from purchasing gasoline or merchandise at our retail sites.
We rely on our technology systems and network infrastructure to manage numerous aspects of our business, and a disruption of these systems could adversely affect our business.
We depend on our technology systems and network infrastructure to manage numerous aspects of our business and provide analytical information to management. These systems are an essential component of our business and growth strategies, and a serious disruption to them could significantly limit our ability to manage and operate our business efficiently. These systems are vulnerable to, among other things, damage and interruption from power loss or natural disasters, computer system and network failures, loss of telecommunications services, physical and electronic loss of data, security breaches and computer viruses, which could result in a loss of sensitive business information, systems interruption or the disruption of our business operations. To protect against unauthorized access or attacks, we have implemented infrastructure protection technologies and disaster recovery plans, but there can be no assurance that a technology systems breach or systems failure, which may occur and go undetected, will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. In addition, as of January 2021, Murphy USA completed the required installation of Europay, Mastercard, and Visa ("EMV") chip readers at automated fuel pumps which will protect the Company from being financially responsible for most fraud and counterfeit chargebacks occurring at the point of sale.
Our business and our reputation could be adversely affected by the failure to protect sensitive customer, employee or vendor data or to comply with applicable regulations relating to data security and privacy.
In the normal course of our business as a gasoline and merchandise retailer, we obtain large amounts of personal data, including credit and debit card information from our customers. We also engage third-party vendors that provide technology, systems, and services to facilitate our collection, retention, processing and transmission of this information. While we have invested significant amounts in the protection of our technology systems and maintain what we believe are adequate security controls over individually identifiable customer, employee and vendor data provided to us, a breakdown or a breach in our systems that results in the unauthorized release of individually identifiable customer or other sensitive data could nonetheless occur and have a material adverse effect on our reputation, operating results and financial condition. Such a breakdown or breach could also materially increase the costs we incur to protect against such risks. Also, a material failure on our part, or the part of our vendors, to comply with regulations relating to our obligation to protect such sensitive data or the privacy rights of our customers, employees and others could subject us to fines or other regulatory sanctions and potentially to lawsuits and adversely affect our brand name.
Compliance with and changes in tax laws could adversely affect our performance.
We are subject to extensive tax liabilities imposed by multiple jurisdictions, including income taxes, indirect taxes (excise/duty, sales/use and gross receipts taxes), payroll taxes, franchise taxes, withholding taxes and ad valorem taxes. Tax laws and regulations are dynamic and subject to change as new laws are passed and new interpretations of existing laws are issued and applied. This activity could result in increased expenditures for tax liabilities in the future. Many of these liabilities are subject to periodic audits by the respective taxing authority. Subsequent changes to our tax liabilities as a result of these audits may subject us to interest and penalties.
Risks Relating to Our Common Stock
The price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly and if securities or industry analysts publish unfavorable research reports about our business or if they downgrade their rating on our common stock, the price of our common stock could decline.
The price at which our common stock trades may fluctuate significantly. The trading price of our common stock could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to a number of factors, including, but not limited to:
•fluctuations in quarterly or annual results of operations, especially if they differ from our previously announced guidance or forecasts made by analysts;
•announcements by us of anticipated future revenues or operating results, or by others concerning us, our competitors, our customers, or our industry;
•our ability to execute our business plan;
•competitive environment;
•regulatory developments; and
•changes in overall stock market conditions, including the stock prices of our competitors.
Provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws and certain provisions of Delaware law could delay or prevent a change in control of us.
The existence of some provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws and Delaware law could discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of us that a stockholder may consider favorable. These include provisions:
•providing for a classified board of directors;
•providing that our directors may be removed by our stockholders only for cause;
•establishing super majority vote requirements for our shareholders to amend certain provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws;
•authorizing a large number of shares of stock that are not yet issued, which would allow our board of directors to issue shares to persons friendly to current management, thereby protecting the continuity of our management, or which could be used to dilute the stock ownership of persons seeking to obtain control of us;
•prohibiting stockholders from calling special meetings of stockholders or taking action by written consent; and
•establishing advance notice requirements for nominations of candidates for election to our board of directors or for proposing matters that can be acted on by stockholders at the annual stockholder meetings.
In addition, we are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which may have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions not approved in advance by our board of directors, including discouraging takeover attempts that could have resulted in a premium over the market price for shares of our common stock.
These provisions apply even if a takeover offer may be considered beneficial by some stockholders and could delay or prevent an acquisition that our board of directors determines is not in our and our stockholders’ best interests.
We may issue preferred stock with terms that could dilute the voting power or reduce the value of our common stock.
Our Certificate of Incorporation authorizes us to issue, without the approval of our stockholders, one or more classes or series of preferred stock having such designations, powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other rights, and such qualifications, limitations or restrictions as our board of directors generally may determine. The terms of one or more classes or series of preferred stock could dilute the voting power or reduce the value of our common stock. For example, we could grant holders of preferred stock the right to elect some number of our directors in all events or on the happening of specified events or the right to veto specified transactions.
Similarly, the repurchase or redemption rights or dividend, distribution or liquidation preferences we could assign to holders of preferred stock could affect the residual value of the common stock.
Our Bylaws designate a state or federal court located within the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a preferred judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees.
Our Bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of Delaware General Corporation Law, our Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designations for any class or series of our preferred stock) or our Bylaws, in each case, as amended from time to time, or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine shall be a state or federal court located within the State of Delaware, in all cases subject to the court’s having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock is deemed to have received notice of and consented to the foregoing provision. This forum selection provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable or cost-effective for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and employees.
We may not achieve the intended benefits of having an exclusive forum provision if it is found to be unenforceable.
We have included an exclusive forum provision in our Bylaws as described above. However, the enforceability of similar exclusive jurisdiction provisions in other companies’ bylaws or certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that, in connection with any action, a court could find the exclusive jurisdiction provision contained in our Bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in such action. Although in June 2013 the Delaware Court of Chancery upheld the statutory and contractual validity of exclusive forum-selection bylaw provisions, and in 2015 the Delaware General Corporation Law was amended to permit forum-selection provisions applicable to "integral corporate claims", the validity of forum-selection provisions continues to be tested with litigation. Furthermore, the Delaware Court of Chancery emphasized that such provisions may not be enforceable under circumstances where they are found to operate in an unreasonable or unlawful manner or in a manner inconsistent with a board’s fiduciary duties. Also, it is uncertain whether non-Delaware courts consistently will enforce such exclusive forum-selection bylaw provisions. If a court were to find our choice of forum provision inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions and we may not obtain the benefits of limiting jurisdiction to the courts selected.

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ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
The Company had no unresolved comments from the staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as of December 31, 2020.

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Item 2. PROPERTIES
Descriptions of the Company’s properties are included in Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K beginning on page 2.

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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Murphy USA and its subsidiaries are engaged in a number of legal proceedings, all of which Murphy USA considers incidental to its business. See Note 17 “Contingencies” in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for the three years ended December 31, 2020. Based on information currently available to the Company, the ultimate resolution of matters referred to in this item is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s net income, financial condition or liquidity in a future period.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION; Information About our Executive Officers
The age at January 1, 2021, present corporate office and length of service in office of each of the Company’s executive officers, as of December 31, 2020, are reported in the following listing. Executive officers are elected annually but may be removed from office at any time by the Board of Directors.
R. Andrew Clyde - Age 57; President and Chief Executive Officer, Director and Member of the Executive Committee since August 2013. Mr. Clyde has led Murphy USA's successful value-creation strategy since its spin-off in 2013. Mr. Clyde served Booz & Company (and prior to August 2008, Booz Allen Hamilton) in its global energy practice. He joined the firm in 1993, was elected vice president in 2000 and held leadership roles as North American Energy Practice Leader and Dallas office Managing Partner and served on the firm’s Board Nominating Committee. Mr. Clyde received a master’s degree in Management with Distinction from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He received a BBA in Accounting and a minor in Geology from Southern Methodist University.
Mindy K. West - Age 51; Executive Vice President, Fuels, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer since August 2013. Ms. West joined Murphy Oil in 1996 and has held positions in Accounting, Employee Benefits, Planning and Investor Relations. In 2007, she was promoted to Vice President & Treasurer for Murphy Oil. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Arkansas and a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Southern Arkansas University. She is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Treasury Professional.
John A. Moore - Age 53; Senior Vice President and General Counsel since August 2013. Mr. Moore joined Murphy Oil in 1995 as Associate Attorney in the Law Department. He was promoted to Attorney in 1998 and Senior Attorney in 2005. He was promoted to Manager, Law and assumed the role of Corporate Secretary for Murphy Oil in 2011. Mr. Moore holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Ouachita Baptist University and a Law degree from the University of Arkansas.
Robert J. Chumley - Age 56; Senior Vice President, Merchandising and Marketing since September 2016. Mr. Chumley joined the Company from 7-Eleven Inc., where he served as Senior Product Director, Vice President of Merchandising and Senior Vice President of Innovation. His previous experience includes Sales and Marketing leadership roles with Procter and Gamble, Coca-Cola, Kellogg's and Gillette. Mr. Chumley graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada with a Bachelors of Engineering degree. After graduation he served as a commissioned officer in the Royal Canadian Navy. Mr. Chumley also holds an MBA from Dalhousie University.
Renee M. Bacon - Age 51; Senior Vice President, Sales and Operations since February 2019. Ms. Bacon joined Murphy USA in 2016 as Regional Vice president, Sales and Operations. In 2018, she was promoted to National Vice President, Sales and Operations and in 2019 was promoted to Senior Vice President, Sales and Operations. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas--Austin. Ms. Bacon also holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston and a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee.
Terry P. Hatten - Age 54; Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Chief Information Officer since June 2018. Mr. Hatten joined the Company from Commercials Metal Company where he served as Chief Human Resources Officer. His previous experience includes Human Resources leadership roles at General Nutrition Centers (GNC), Dean Foods, and Pepsi Bottling Group. He graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from Gannon University. Mr. Hatten also holds a master's degree in industrial and labor relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Christopher A. Click - Age 48; Senior Vice President, Strategy and Development since December 2020. Mr. Click joined the Company from KPMG LLP where he served as a Principal in the firm's Energy and Infrastructure Strategy practice. His previous experience includes ten years with Booz & Company (and prior to August 2008, Booz Allen Hamilton) where he served in its global energy practice and was elected Vice President in 2011. Mr. Click received a master's degree in Management from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from Texas A & M University.

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ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable
Part II

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ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY
Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
The Company’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange using “MUSA” as the trading symbol. There were 1,797 stockholders of record as of December 31, 2020.
The declaration and amount of any dividends to holders of our common stock will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon many factors, including our financial condition, earnings, cash flows, capital requirements of our business, covenants associated with our debt obligations, legal requirements, regulatory constraints, industry practice and other factors the board of directors deems relevant.
We are a holding company and have no direct operations. As a result, we are able to pay dividends on our common stock only from available cash on hand and distributions received from our subsidiaries. We declared and paid a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share, or $1.00 annually, in the fourth quarter of 2020 and expects to continue quarterly payments at the same rate for the near future. Dividends were not paid in any previous year.
The indenture governing the Senior Notes and the credit agreement governing our credit facilities and term loan contain restrictive covenants that limit, among other things, the ability of Murphy USA and the restricted subsidiaries to make certain restricted payments, which as defined under both agreements, include the declaration or payment of any dividends of any sort in respect of its capital stock and repurchase of shares of our common stock. See “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Operating Results-Capital Resources and Liquidity-Debt” and Note 7 “Long-Term Debt” and Note 21 "Subsequent Events" to the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements for the three years ended December 31, 2020 for additional information.
On July 24, 2019, the Board of Directors approved an up to $400 million share repurchase program to be executed over the two-year period ending July 2021. This repurchase plan was completed in November 2020, and a new authorization of $500 million, announced October 28, 2020, is now in effect. During 2020, total purchases under the two plans were 3,338,028 common shares for $399.6 million, or $119.70 per share. Purchases made under the July 2019 authorization in 2020 were 2,368,374 common shares for $274.6 million, or $115.93 per share and under the October 2020 authorization 969,654 common shares were purchased for $125.0 million, or $128.91 per share, leaving approximately $375.0 million remaining available, as of December 31, 2020, through December 2023.
Below is detail of the company's purchases of its own equity securities during the fourth quarter of 2020.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Total Number Approximate
of Shares Dollar Value of
Purchased as Shares That May
Total Number Average Part of Publicly Yet Be Purchased
of Shares Price Paid Announced Plans Under the Plans
Purchased Per Share or Programs or Programs 1
October 1, 2020 to October 31, 2020 296,601 $ 126.53 296,601 $ 6,972,549
November 1, 2020 to November 30, 2020 644,371 129.37 644,371 423,174,321
December 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 378,122 127.40 378,122 375,000,219
Three Months Ended December 31, 2020 1,319,094 $ 128.17 1,319,094 $ 375,000,219
1Terms of the repurchase plan authorized by the Murphy USA Inc. Board of Directors and announced on July 31, 2019 include authorization for the Company to acquire up to $400 million of its common shares by July 31, 2021. The July 2019 authorization was completed in November 2020 and a new authorization of $500 million was announced on October 28, 2020.
Equity Compensation Plan Information
The table below contains information about securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans. The features of these plans are discussed further in Note 10 “Incentive Plans” to our audited consolidated financial statements.
Plan category Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights (1)
Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a)) (2)
(a) (b) (c)
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders 665,839 $79.60 3,375,011
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders - - -
Total 665,839 $79.60 3,375,011
(1)Amounts in this column include outstanding restricted stock units.
(2)Number of shares available for issuance includes 3,008,441 available shares under the 2013 Long-Term Incentive Plan as of December 31, 2020 plus 366,570 available shares under the 2013 Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors as of December 31, 2020. Assumes each restricted stock unit is equivalent to one share and each performance unit is equal to two shares.
SHAREHOLDER RETURN PERFORMANCE PRESENTATION
The following graph presents a comparison of cumulative total shareholder returns (including the reinvestment of dividends) as if a $100 investment was made on December 31, 2015, the Standard and Poor’s 500 Stock Index Fund (S&P 500 Index) and the S&P 400 Midcap Index. This performance information is “furnished” by the Company and is not considered as “filed” with this Annual Report on Form 10-K and is not incorporated into any document that incorporates this Annual Report on Form 10-K by reference.
Murphy USA Inc.
Comparison of Cumulative Shareholder Returns
Shareholder Return Performance Table
Murphy USA Inc. S&P 500 Index S&P 400 Mid cap Index
December 31, 2015 $ 100 $ 100 $ 100
December 31, 2016 $ 101 $ 110 $ 119
December 31, 2017 $ 132 $ 131 $ 136
December 31, 2018 $ 126 $ 123 $ 119
December 31, 2019 $ 193 $ 158 $ 148
December 31, 2020 $ 215 $ 184 $ 166

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition (“Management’s Discussion and Analysis”) is the Company’s analysis of its financial performance and of significant trends that may affect future performance. It should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. It contains forward-looking statements including, without limitation, statements relating to the Company’s plans, strategies, objectives, expectations and intentions. The words “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “budget,” “continue,” “could,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “expect,” “objective,” “projection,” “forecast,” “goal,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “effort,” “target” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update, revise or correct any of the forward-looking information unless required to do so under the federal securities laws. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s disclosures under “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
For purposes of this Management’s Discussion and Analysis, references to “Murphy USA”, the “Company”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Murphy USA Inc. and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis is organized as follows:
•Executive Overview-this section provides an overview of our business and the results of operations and financial condition for the periods presented. It includes information on the basis of presentation with respect to the amounts presented in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis and a discussion of the trends affecting our business.
•Results of Operations-this section provides an analysis of our results of operations, including the results of our business segments for the three years ended December 31, 2020.
•Capital Resources and Liquidity-this section provides a discussion of our financial condition and cash flows as of and for the three years ended December 31, 2020. It also includes a discussion of our capital structure and available sources of liquidity.
•Critical Accounting Policies-this section describes the accounting policies and estimates that we consider most important for our business and that require significant judgment.
Executive Overview
Our Business
Our business consists primarily of the marketing of retail fuel products and convenience merchandise through a network of retail gasoline stores and unbranded wholesale customers. Our owned retail stores are primarily all located near Walmart stores and use the brand name Murphy USA®. We also market gasoline and other products at stand-alone stores under the Murphy Express brand. At December 31, 2020, we had a total of 1,503 Company stores in 25 states, principally in the Southeast, Southwest and Midwest United States.
Trends Affecting Our Business
Our operations are significantly impacted by the gross margins we receive on our fuel sales. These gross margins are commodity-based, change daily and are volatile. While we expect our total fuel sales volumes to grow over time and the gross margins we realize on those sales to remain strong in a normalized environment, these gross margins can change rapidly due to many factors. These factors include, but are not limited to, the price of refined products, interruptions in supply caused by severe weather, travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders imposed during a pandemic such as COVID-19, severe refinery mechanical failures for an extended period of time, and competition in the local markets in which we operate. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact gasoline demand as the work-from-home and virtual school environment is still affecting many areas with no changes expected until mid 2021. If the recoveries experienced throughout 2020 stall or reverse as a resurgence in COVID-19 infection rates and related government intervention occur, this could cause volume declines. However, incrementally higher fuel margins related to volume decline may help mitigate any adverse financial impact.
The cost of our main sales products, gasoline and diesel, is greatly impacted by the cost of crude oil in the United States. Generally, rising prices for crude oil increase the Company’s cost for wholesale fuel products purchased. When wholesale fuel costs rise, the Company is not always able to immediately pass these price increases on to its retail customers at the pump, which in turn squeezes the Company’s sales margin. Also, rising prices tend to cause our customers to reduce discretionary fuel consumption, which tends to reduce our fuel sales volumes. Crude oil prices in 2020 were very volatile during the year ranging from negative territory to a maximum of $63 per barrel due to pandemic related influences and other world events. The lower wholesale prices in 2020 have resulted in a higher fuel contribution on a cents per gallon ("cpg") basis, but this higher contribution was partially offset by declines in the fuel volume sold. Total fuel contribution (retail fuel margin plus product supply and wholesale ("PS&W") results including Renewable Identification Numbers ("RINs")) was 25.2 cpg in 2020, a 56.3% increase over 2019's total fuel contribution of 16.1 cpg.
Our revenues are impacted by our ability to leverage our diverse supply infrastructure in pursuit of obtaining the lowest cost of fuel supply available; for example, activities such as blending bulk fuel with ethanol and bio-diesel to capture and subsequently sell Renewable Identification Numbers (“RINs”). Under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the EPA is authorized to set annual quotas establishing the percentage of motor fuels consumed in the United States that must be attributable to renewable fuels. Obligated parties are required to demonstrate that they have met any applicable quotas by submitting a certain amount of RINs to the EPA. RINs in excess of the set quota can then be sold in a market for RINs at then-prevailing prices. The market price for RINs fluctuates based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to governmental and regulatory action. There are other market related factors that can impact the net benefit we receive for RINs on a company-wide basis either favorably or unfavorably. The Renewable Fuel Standard ("RFS") program continues to be unpredictable and ethanol RIN prices ranged from $0.05 to $0.72, with an average sales price of $0.41 per RIN for the year 2020. Our business model does not depend on our ability to generate revenues from RINs. Revenue from the sales of RINs is included in “Other operating revenues” in the Consolidated Income Statements.
As of December 31, 2020, we had $800 million of Senior Notes and $212.5 million of term loan outstanding. We believe that we will generate sufficient cash from operations to fund our ongoing operating requirements. At December 31, 2020, we had additional available capacity under the committed $325 million credit facilities (subject to the borrowing base), together with capacity under a $150 million incremental uncommitted facility. We expect to use the credit facilities to provide us with available financing intended to meet any ongoing cash needs in excess of internally generated cash flows. To the extent necessary, we will borrow under these facilities to fund our ongoing operating requirements.There can be no assurances, however, that we will generate sufficient cash from operations or be able to draw on the credit facilities, obtain commitments for our incremental facility and/or obtain and draw upon other credit facilities. For additional information, see Significant Sources of Capital in the Capital Resources and Liquidity section.
The Company currently anticipates total capital expenditures (including land for future development) for the full year 2021 to range from approximately $325 million to $375 million depending on how many new sites are completed. We intend to fund our capital program in 2021 primarily using operating cash flow, but will supplement funding where necessary using borrowings under available credit facilities.
We believe that our business will continue to grow in the future with our acquisition that was completed on January 29, 2021 of the QuickChek chain of stores and as we expand our food and beverage capabilities with development of a fit-for-purpose F&B model for our stores. We have an active real estate development team that maintains a ready pipeline of desirable site locations for development. The pace of this growth is continually monitored by our management, and these plans can be altered based on operating cash flows generated and the availability of debt facilities.
Seasonality
Our business has inherent seasonality due to the concentration of our retail sites in certain geographic areas, as well as customer behaviors during different seasons. In general, sales volumes and operating incomes are highest in the second and third quarters during the summer activity months and lowest during the winter months. Beginning in the latter half of March 2020, we began to see a disruption to typical seasonal patterns as a result of stay-at-home restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This pattern continued throughout the remainder of the year, resulting in fuel volumes sold falling below our historical average. At present we cannot forecast how such measures will affect seasonal patterns into 2021 and the pandemic continues to influence travel behavior.
Business Segments
Our business is organized into one operating segment which is Marketing. The Marketing segment includes our retail marketing sites and product supply and wholesale assets. For operating segment information, see Note 20 “Business Segments” in the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements for the three-year period ended December 31, 2020.
Results of Operations
Consolidated Results
For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company reported net income of $386.1 million or $13.08 per diluted share on revenue of $11.3 billion. Net income was $154.8 million for 2019 or $4.86 per diluted share on revenue of $14.0 billion.
A summary of the Company’s earnings by business segment follows:
Year ended December 31,
(millions of dollars) 2020 2019 2018
Marketing $ 442.2 $ 215.0 $ 214.2
Corporate and other assets (56.1) (60.2) (0.6)
Net income $ 386.1 $ 154.8 $ 213.6
Net income for 2020 increased compared to 2019, primarily due to:
•Higher all-in fuel contribution;
•Higher merchandise contribution;
•Lower station and other operating expenses, primarily due to lower payment fees;
•Lower interest expense;
•No loss on early debt extinguishment in 2020
The items below partially offset the increase in earnings in the current period:
•Higher depreciation expense;
•Higher general and administrative expenses
Net income for 2019 decreased compared to 2018 primarily due to:
•Lower settlement proceeds from Deepwater Horizon spill recorded in Corporate and other assets;
•Higher station and other operating expenses;
•Higher general and administrative expenses;
•Higher depreciation;
•Loss on early debt extinguishment
The items below partially offset the decrease in earnings of 2019 from 2018:
•Higher all-in fuel contribution;
•Higher merchandise contribution
2020 versus 2019
Revenues for the year ended December 31, 2020 decreased $2.8 billion, or 19.7%, compared to 2019. The decrease was due to a lower retail fuel price of 42 cpg for 2020 due to lower wholesale fuel prices partially due to the travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic and combined with a decrease in retail fuel sales volumes of 10.8%. Merchandise sales were higher year-over-year by 12.8% primarily due to sales from cigarettes and lottery.
Cost of sales decreased $3.1 billion, or 23.9%, compared to 2019, due to the decrease in retail fuel volumes sold and lower average cost of fuel and was partially offset by increased merchandise cost of sales due to an increase in numbers of units sold.
Station and other operating expenses decreased $10.2 million,or 1.8% in 2020 due primarily to lower payments fees driven by lower fuel revenues and was partially offset by higher employee related expenses. On an average per store month (APSM) basis, station operating expenses excluding credit card fees and rent increased 2.5% in 2020. For the year 2020, COVID-related operating expenses were $236 on an APSM basis, without these costs the OPEX increase would have been 1.4%.
Selling, general and administrative expenses for 2020 were higher by $26.5 million. The increase was mainly due to a $10 million charitable contribution, higher employee-related costs in the current year, and higher professional service costs.
Interest expense in 2020 decreased by $3.7 million compared to 2019 due to lower interest rates on the 2029 bonds outstanding compared to the 2023 bonds for a full year compared to a partial year in 2019. Additionally, in 2019 there was an accelerated write-off of associated debt issuance costs on redemption of the 2023 bonds and modification of the revolver.
During 2019, the company recorded a $14.8 million loss on early debt extinguishment related to the call and redemption of our 2023 Senior Notes and had no such costs in 2020.
Depreciation expense in 2020 increased $8.8 million due primarily to more stores in operation when compared to 2019, combined with accelerated depreciation on raze-and-rebuilds.
Income tax expense was higher in 2020 by $75.4 million due primarily to higher pretax income. The effective income tax expense rate in 2020 was 24.2% compared to 23.5% for 2019 due to fewer discrete state income tax benefits.
2019 versus 2018
Revenues for the year ended December 31, 2019 decreased $0.3 billion, or 2.3%, compared to 2018. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in retail fuel prices of 14 cpg for the 2019 full year which was partially offset by an increase in retail fuel sales volumes of 3.4%, due primarily to an increase in the number of stores and improved pricing tactics. Merchandise sales were also higher year-over-year by 8.1%
Cost of sales decreased $0.4 billion, or 2.8%, compared to 2018. This decrease was due to retail fuel sold at a lower average cost which was partially offset by higher volumes and increased merchandise cost of goods sold.
Station and other operating expenses increased $18.0 million, or 3.3% in 2019 due primarily to the addition of 17 new stores, along with 27 larger stores under our raze-and-rebuild program. On an average per store month ("APSM") basis, the station operating expenses applicable to the retail marketing business increased 2.0% in 2019. The largest area of increase was in employee related expenses.
Selling, general and administrative expenses for 2019 were higher by $8.4 million. The increase was mainly due to higher professional fees, employee benefit costs, and increased technology service costs.
Net settlement proceeds for 2019 were $0.1 million (before tax), which represented the final remaining net settlement of damages incurred in connection with the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, compared to $50.4 million in 2018.
Interest expense in 2019 increased by $2.0 million compared to 2018 due primarily to additional term loan borrowings in 2019 and the accelerated write-off of associated debt issuance costs on the modification of the revolver combined with a lower amount of capitalized interest.
During 2019, the company recorded a $14.8 million loss on early debt extinguishment related to the call and redemption of our 2023 Senior Notes.
Depreciation expense in 2019 increased $18.2 million due primarily to more stores in operation during 2019 when compared to 2018, combined with accelerated depreciation on raze-and-rebuilds.
Income tax expense was lower in 2019 by $12.7 million due primarily to lower pretax income. The effective rate in 2019 was 23.5% compared to a tax benefit of 22.0% for 2018 due to fewer discrete state income tax benefits and lower excess tax benefits from equity compensation.
Segment Results
Marketing
Income before income taxes in the Marketing segment for 2020 increased $293.8 million, or 104.4%, from 2019 due to increased all-in fuel and merchandise margins and lower station and other operating costs, partially offset by increased general and administrative costs and depreciation.
The tables below show the results for the Marketing segment for the three years ended December 31, 2020 along with certain key metrics for the segment.
(Millions of dollars, except revenue per store month (in thousands) and store counts) Years Ended December 31,
Marketing Segment 2020 2019 2018
Operating revenues
Petroleum product sales $ 8,208.6 $ 11,373.8 $ 11,858.4
Merchandise sales 2,955.1 2,620.1 2,423.0
Other 100.3 40.4 80.9
Total operating revenues $ 11,264.0 $ 14,034.3 $ 14,362.3
Operating expenses
Petroleum product cost of goods sold 7,325.7 10,707.4 11,251.1
Merchandise cost of goods sold 2,495.7 2,200.7 2,022.5
Station and other operating expenses 549.0 559.3 541.3
Depreciation and amortization 146.3 138.9 124.5
Selling, general and administrative 171.1 144.6 136.2
Accretion of asset retirement obligations 2.3 2.1 2.0
Total operating expenses $ 10,690.1 $ 13,753.0 $ 14,077.6
Gain (loss) on sale of assets 1.3 0.1 (1.1)
Income from operations 575.2 281.4 283.6
Other income (expense)
Interest expense (0.1) (0.1) (0.1)
Other nonoperating income - - 0.2
Total other income (expense) $ (0.1) $ (0.1) $ 0.1
Income before income taxes 575.1 281.3 283.7
Income tax expense (benefit) 132.9 66.3 69.5
Income $ 442.2 $ 215.0 $ 214.2
Total tobacco sales revenue per same store sales1,2
$ 120.6 $ 107.3 $ 101.2
Total non-tobacco sales revenue per same store sales1,2
45.5 41.0 39.1
Total merchandise sales revenue per same store sales1,2
$ 166.1 $ 148.3 $ 140.3
12019 and 2018 amounts not revised for subsequent raze-and-rebuild activity
2Includes site-level discounts for MDR redemptions and excludes change in value of unredeemed MDR points
Store count at end of period 1,503 1,489 1,472
Total store months during the period 17,770 17,621 17,343
APSM metric includes all stores open through the date of the calculation.
Same store sales ("SSS") metric includes aggregated individual store results for all stores open throughout both periods presented. For all periods presented, the store must have been open for the entire calendar year to be included in the comparison. Remodeled stores that remained open or were closed for just a very brief time (less than a month) during the period being compared remain in the same store sales calculation. If a store is replaced either at the same location (raze-and-rebuild) or relocated to a new location, it will be excluded from the calculation during the period it is out of service. Newly constructed sites do not enter the calculation until they are open for each full calendar year for the periods being compared (open by January 1, 2019 for the sites being compared in the 2020 versus 2019 comparison). When prior period same store sales volumes or sales are presented, they have not been revised for current year activity for raze-and-rebuilds and asset dispositions.
Fuel
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
Key Operating Metrics 2020 2019 2018
Total retail fuel contribution ($ Millions) $ 895.0 $ 605.8 $ 624.2
Total PS&W contribution ($ Millions) (8.5) 64.0 (13.8)
RINs and other (included in Other operating revenues on Consolidated Income Statement) ($ Millions) 95.6 34.8 75.2
Total fuel contribution ($ Millions) $ 982.1 $ 704.6 $ 685.6
Retail fuel volume - chain (Million gal) 3,900.9 4,374.5 4,232.2
Retail fuel volume - per site (K gals APSM)1
219.5 248.3 244.0
Retail fuel volume - per site (K gal SSS)2
216.2 243.8 242.6
Total fuel contribution (including retail, PS&W and RINs) (cpg) 25.2 16.1 16.2
Retail fuel margin (cpg) 22.9 13.8 14.7
PS&W including RINs contribution (cpg) 2.3 2.3 1.5
1APSM metric includes all stores open through the date of calculation
22019 and 2018 amounts not revised for subsequent raze-and-rebuild activity (see SSS definition above)
The reconciliation of the total fuel contribution to the Consolidated Income Statements is as follows:
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
(Millions of dollars) 2020 2019 2018
Petroleum product sales $ 8,208.6 $ 11,373.8 $ 11,858.4
Less Petroleum product cost of goods sold (7,325.7) (10,707.4) (11,251.1)
Plus RINs and other (included in Other Operating Revenues line) 99.2 38.2 78.3
Total fuel contribution $ 982.1 $ 704.6 $ 685.6
Merchandise
Twelve Months Ended December 31,
Key Operating Metrics 2020 2019 2018
Total merchandise contribution ($ Millions) $ 459.4 $ 419.4 $ 400.4
Total merchandise sales ($ Millions) $ 2,955.1 $ 2,620.1 $ 2,423.0
Total merchandise sales ($K SSS)1,2
$ 166.1 $ 148.3 $ 140.3
Merchandise unit margin (%) 15.6 % 16.0 % 16.5 %
Tobacco contribution ($K SSS)1,2
$ 16.5 $ 14.6 $ 13.7
Non-tobacco contribution ($K SSS)1,2
$ 10.0 $ 9.6 $ 9.6
Total merchandise contribution ($K SSS)1,2
$ 26.5 $ 24.2 $ 23.3
12019 and 2018 amounts not revised for subsequent raze-and-rebuild activity (see SSS definition above)
2Includes site-level discounts for MDR redemptions and excludes change in value of unredeemed MDR points
2020 versus 2019
Total fuel contribution for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $982.1 million, a 39.4% increase over 2019. This contribution improvement was partially offset by lower total fuel volumes for the year ended December 31, 2020, which were down 10.8% primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions and it impacted retail fuel volumes in 2020 on a SSS basis as well which were lower by 12.3% compared to 2019.
The Marketing segment had total revenues of $11.3 billion in 2020 compared to approximately $14.0 billion in 2019, a decrease of $2.7 billion, due primarily to a lower average retail fuel price and decreased volumes sold. Revenue amounts included excise taxes collected and remitted to government authorities of $1.8 billion in 2020 and $1.9 billion in 2019.
Total fuel sales volumes on an SSS basis were 216,158 gallons per month in 2020, a decrease from 243,818 gallons per month in the prior year. Retail fuel margin increased in 2020 to 22.9 cpg, compared to 13.8 cpg in the prior year. The higher fuel margins in the current year were attributed to a decrease in average wholesale fuel prices in 2020. Total product supply and wholesale margin dollars before RINs decreased in the current year, which is typical in a declining price environment due to timing and inventory price adjustments. This decline was offset by an increase in the contribution from sales of RINs. During 2020, operating income included $95.5 million from the sale of 233.9 million RINs at an average selling price of $0.41 per RIN compared to 2019's $34.8 million for the sale of 197.0 million RINs at an average price of $0.18 per RIN.
Merchandise sales were up 12.8% in 2020 to $3.0 billion. Merchandise unit margins decreased 40 basis points, to 15.6% in 2020 from 16.0% in 2019. On a SSS basis, total merchandise sales were up 11.7% with tobacco products up 12.8%, along with an 8.7% increase in non-tobacco sales. Total margins on a SSS basis for 2020 were up 9.6% with tobacco margins higher by 14.9%, and there was an overall increase of 2.0% in non-tobacco margins, mainly from increased lottery but which were partially offset by lower sales in the snack categories.
Station and other operating expenses decreased $10.3 million in 2020 compared to 2019 levels, a decrease of 1.8%. This decrease in total dollars was due mainly to lower payment fees due to lower retail sales which was mostly offset by increases in rents and store operating costs due to an increase in store count. Excluding credit card fees and rent on an APSM basis, station and other operating expenses at the retail level were higher in 2020 by 2.5% compared to 2019 levels. This increase was due primarily to higher employee related expenses and COVID-related expenses. COVID-related expense on an APSM basis were $236, without these costs, the increase in OPEX would have been 1.4% versus 2019.
Depreciation and amortization increased $7.4 million in 2020, an increase of 5.3%. This increase was caused by more stores operating in the 2020 period combined with accelerated depreciation on raze-and-rebuild sites.
Selling, general and administrative expenses ("SG&A") increased $26.5 million in 2020 compared to 2019. The increased SG&A costs were primarily due to a $10 million charitable contribution, higher employee related expenses, and higher professional service costs.
2019 versus 2018
Total fuel volumes for the year ended December 31, 2019 were up 3.4%. Retail fuel volumes in 2019 on a SSS basis were higher by 1.2% compared to 2018. The increase in retail volumes on a SSS basis was primarily attributable to improved pricing tactics.
The Marketing segment had total revenues of $14.0 billion in 2019 compared to approximately $14.4 billion in 2018, an decrease of $0.4 billion. Revenue amounts included excise taxes collected and remitted to government authorities of $1.9 billion in 2019 and $1.8 billion in 2018.
Total fuel sales volumes on an SSS basis were 243,818 gallons per month in 2019, increased from 242,562 gallons per month in the prior year. Retail fuel margin decreased in 2019 to 13.8 cpg, compared to 14.7 cpg in the prior year. The lower fuel margins in the period were attributed to a rising fuel price environment which typically compresses retail margins. Total product supply and wholesale margin dollars excluding RINs increased in 2019 which is typical in a rising price environment due to timing and inventory price adjustments, partially offset by a decline in the contribution of RINs sales. During 2019, operating income included $34.8 million from the sale of 197.0 million RINs at an average selling price of $0.18 per RIN compared to $75.2 million for the sale of 227.2 million RINs at an average price of $0.33 per RIN in 2018.
Merchandise sales were up 8.1% in 2019 to $2.6 billion. Merchandise unit margins decreased 50 basis points, to 16.0% in 2019 from 16.5% in 2018. On a SSS basis, total merchandise sales were up 6.5% with tobacco products up 7.7%, along with a 3.5% increase in non-tobacco sales. Total margins on a SSS basis for 2019 were up 4.5% with tobacco margins higher 8.2%, partially offset by a 0.6% decrease in non-tobacco margins that were negatively impacted by the allocation of certain immaterial costs that were previously included in operating expense.
Station and other operating expenses increased $18.0 million in 2019 compared to 2018 levels, an increase of 3.3%. This increase in total dollars was due mainly to increased store count. Excluding credit card fees, on an APSM basis, station and other operating expenses at the retail level were higher in 2019 by 2.0% compared to 2018 levels. This increase was due primarily to higher employee related expenses.
Depreciation and amortization increased $14.4 million in 2019, an increase of 11.5%. This increase was caused by more stores operating in the 2019 period combined with accelerated on raze-and-rebuild sites.
Selling, general and administrative expenses increased $8.4 million in 2019 compared to 2018. The increased SG&A costs were primarily due to higher professional fees, employee benefits and other technology service expenses.
Corporate and other assets
2020 versus 2019
Income from continuing operations for Corporate and other assets in 2020 was a loss of $56.1 million, compared to a loss of $60.2 million in 2019. Net interest expense was lower in the current year by $3.7 million primarily due to the lower interest rates on the 2029 bonds for the full year compared to the interest rate on the 2023 bonds in the prior year as well as early amortization of associated debt issuance costs due to the call of the 2023 Senior Notes in September 2019. The Company incurred a $14.8 million loss on early debt extinguishment during 2019 related to the 2023 Senior Notes and had no such loss in 2020.
2019 versus 2018
Income from continuing operations for Corporate and other assets in 2019 was a loss of $60.2 million compared to a loss of $0.6 million in 2018. The 2018 results included the recognition of net settlement proceeds of approximately $50.4 million (pretax) from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill compared to $0.1 million (pretax) in 2019. Net interest expense was higher in 2019 compared to 2018 by $2.0 million primarily due to the additional borrowings on the term loan, early amortization of associated debt issuance costs due to the call of the 2023 Senior Notes in September 2019, and was partially offset by lower interest rates on the $500 million Senior Notes issued on September 13, 2019 combined with lower capitalized interest. The Company incurred a $14.8 million loss on early debt extinguishment during 2019 related to the 2023 Senior Notes. Depreciation and amortization expense for 2019 was $3.8 million more than in 2018.
Non-GAAP Measures
The following table sets forth the Company’s EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA for the three years ended December 31, 2020. EBITDA means net income (loss) plus net interest expense, plus income tax expense, depreciation and amortization, and Adjusted EBITDA adds back (i) other non-cash items (e.g., impairment of properties and accretion of asset retirement obligations) and (ii) other items that management does not consider to be meaningful in assessing our operating performance (e.g., (income) from discontinued operations, net settlement proceeds, (gain) loss on sale of assets, loss on early debt extinguishment, transaction costs related to acquisitions, and other non-operating (income) expense). EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not measures that are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
We use Adjusted EBITDA in our operational and financial decision-making, believing that the measure is useful to eliminate certain items in order to focus on what we deem to be an indicator of ongoing operating performance and our ability to generate cash flow from operations. Adjusted EBITDA is also used by many of our investors, research analysts, investment bankers, and lenders to assess our operating performance. We believe that the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors because it allows understanding of a key measure that we evaluate internally when making operating and strategic decisions, preparing our annual plan and evaluating our overall performance. However, non-GAAP measures are not a substitute for GAAP disclosures, and EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA may be prepared differently by us than by other companies using similarly titled non-GAAP measures.
The reconciliation of net income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA is as follows:
Years Ended December 31,
(Millions of dollars) 2020 2019 2018
Net income $ 386.1 $ 154.8 $ 213.6
Income tax expense (benefit) 123.0 47.6 60.3
Interest expense, net of interest income 50.2 51.7 51.4
Depreciation and amortization 161.0 152.2 134.0
EBITDA 720.3 406.3 459.3
Net settlement proceeds - (0.1) (50.4)
Accretion of asset retirement obligations 2.3 2.1 2.0
(Gain) loss on sale of assets (1.3) (0.1) 1.1
Loss on early debt extinguishment - 14.8 -
Acquisition related costs 1.7 - -
Other nonoperating (income) expense (0.3) (0.4) (0.2)
Adjusted EBITDA $ 722.7 $ 422.6 $ 411.8
Capital Resources and Liquidity
Significant sources of capital
As of December 31, 2020, we had $163.6 million of cash and cash equivalents. Our cash management policy provides that cash balances in excess of a certain threshold are reinvested in certain types of low-risk investments.
At December 31, 2020, we had borrowing capacity under a committed $325 million asset based loan facility (the "ABL facility") (subject to the borrowing base) and an outstanding balance in our term loan of $212.5 million, as well as a $150 million incremental uncommitted facility. At December 31, 2020, we had $325 million of borrowing capacity that we could utilize for working capital and other general corporate purposes under our existing facility, including to support our operating model as described herein. Our borrowing base limit for the facility was approximately $214.7 million based on December 31, 2020 balance sheet information. See “Debt - Credit Facilities” for the calculation of our borrowing base. Subsequent to year end the Company's capital structure was reconfigured as noted in the following QuickChek acquisition section.
We also have a shelf registration on file with the SEC for an indeterminate amount of debt and equity securities for future issuance, subject to our internal limitations on the amount of debt to be issued under this shelf registration statement.
We believe our short-term and long-term liquidity is adequate to fund not only our operations, but also our anticipated near-term and long-term funding requirements, including capital spending programs, execution of announced share repurchase programs, dividend payments, repayment of debt maturities and other amounts that may ultimately be paid in connection with contingencies.
QuickChek Acquisition
On January 29, 2021, the Company completed its acquisition of QuickChek which was announced on December 14, 2020, for all-cash consideration of $645 million before adjustments for working capital and other items. In conjunction with the closing of the acquisition, the Company entered in a new credit agreement that provides for a new cash flow revolving facility with commitments of $350 million and a new term loan in a principal amount of $400 million. Additional borrowing capacity under the revolving facility may be extended at our request and with the consent of the participating lenders. The Company also issued a new series of 3.750% senior unsecured notes due 2031 in an aggregate principal amount of $500 million. As a result of the above transactions, the existing ABL facility was terminated and the term loan with $200 million remaining balance outstanding at closing was repaid and retired.
Operating Activities
Net cash provided by operating activities was $563.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 and $313.3 million for the comparable period in 2019, an increase of 79.9%, primarily due to an increase in net income of $231.3 million in 2020 compared to 2019 and the amount of cash provided from changes in noncash working capital in 2020 increasing by $35.6 million. For the current year, cash provided by changes in noncash operating working capital was due to a decrease of $4.9 million in accounts receivable, a decrease of $16.6 million in prepaid expenses and other current assets, an increase of $8.3 million in accounts payable and accrued liabilities, and an increase of $8.8 million in income taxes payable, which were partially offset by an increase of $51.7 million in inventories. Other sources of operating cash included a $5.9 million benefit in payroll taxes payable which have been deferred under the CARES Act. The changes in accounts receivable and accounts payable were due to timing of invoicing, billing, payments, and receipts. The variance in prepaid expenses and other current assets and income taxes payable were due to increased pretax income in the current year which moved the Company from a prepaid income tax position to a payable. See also Note 14 "Other financial information" in the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements for the three-year period ended December 31, 2020. There were debt extinguishment costs in 2019 and there were no such costs in 2020.
Net cash provided by operating activities was $313.3 million in 2019 and was $398.7 million in 2018. The primary reason for changes in the amounts between 2019 and 2018 related to lower net income, the amount of cash generated from working capital and was offset by benefits from non-cash depreciation and amortization and loss on early debt extinguishment. Changes in noncash working capital from 2018 to 2019 were an increase of $33.4 million from accounts receivable, an increase of $6.1 million in inventory, an increase of $3.3 million in prepaid expense and $5.9 million in accounts payable.
Investing Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2020, cash required by investing activities was $224.3 million compared to cash required by investing activities of $203.1 million in 2019. The investing cash increase of $21.2 million in 2020 was due primarily to capital expenditures which required cash of $230.7 million in 2020 compared to $204.8 million in 2019 due primarily to more new store openings. Partially offsetting cash required for investing activities was proceeds of the sale of Minnesota assets in 2020.
In 2019, cash required by investing activities was $203.1 million, primarily due to capital expenditures of $204.8 million, while 2018 required cash from investing activities of $209.1 million, primarily due to capital expenditures of $204.3 million.
Financing Activities
Financing activities in the year ended December 31, 2020 required net cash of $456.1 million compared to a net cash required of $14.4 million in the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase in financing cash requirements was due to an increase of $233.8 million in share repurchases and $6.9 million in dividends paid,
partially offset by $209.3 million less in net borrowings of debt and no payments for debt extinguishment and debt issuance costs in 2020.
Net cash required by financing activities was $14.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 and in 2018 was $175.1 million. The differences in 2019 were due to net borrowings of $170.4 million in 2019 compared to net payments of $21.3 million in 2018 and were partially offset by payments in 2019 of $10.4 million for debt extinguishment costs and $4.1 million for debt issuance costs. There were $165.8 million in stock repurchases in 2019 compared to $144.4 million in 2018.
Share Repurchase program
On July 24, 2019, the Board of Directors approved an up to $400 million share repurchase program to be executed over the two-year period ending July 2021. This repurchase plan was completed in November 2020, and a new authorization of $500 million, announced October 28, 2020, is currently in effect. Purchases may be effected in the open market, through privately negotiated transactions, through one or more accelerated stock repurchase programs, through a combination of the foregoing or in any other manner in the discretion of management. Purchases will be made subject to available cash, market conditions and compliance with our financing arrangements at any time during the period of authorization. We may use cash from operations as well as draws under our credit facilities to effect purchases.
During the year 2020, total purchases under the two plans were 3,338,028 common shares for $399.6 million, or $119.70 per share. Purchases made under the July 2019 authorization in 2020 were 2,368,374 common shares for $274.6 million, or $115.93 per share and under the October 2020 authorization, 969,654 common shares were purchased for $125.0 million, or $128.91 per share, leaving approximately $375.0 million remaining available, as of December 31, 2020, through December 2023.
Debt
Our long-term debt at December 31, 2020 and 2019 was as set forth below:
December 31,
(Millions of dollars) 2020 2019
5.625% senior notes due 2027 (net of unamortized discount of $2.4 at 2020 and $2.7 at 2019) 297.6 297.3
4.75% senior notes due 2029 (net of unamortized discount of $5.4 at 2020 and $6.1 at 2019) 494.6 493.9
Term loan due 2023 (effective interest rate of 2.67% at 2020 and 4.31% at 2019) 212.5 250.0
Capitalized lease obligations, vehicles, due through 2024 2.1 2.4
Unamortized debt issuance costs (4.4) (5.5)
Total long-term debt 1,002.4 1,038.1
Less current maturities 51.2 38.8
Total long-term debt, net of current $ 951.2 $ 999.3
Subsequent to year end, on January 29, 2021, the Company updated its debt structure as a result of the QuickChek acquisition. The information below has been updated to reflect the most recent outstanding debt obligations of the Company. For more detail on debt outstanding at December 31, 2020, see Note 7 "Long-Term Debt" in the audited consolidated financial statements for the three years ended December 31, 2020 included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Senior Notes
On April 25, 2017, Murphy Oil USA, Inc. ("MOUSA"), our primary operating subsidiary, issued $300 million of 5.625% Senior Notes due 2027 (the "2027 Senior Notes") under its existing shelf registration statement. The 2027 Senior Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Company and by the Company's subsidiaries that guarantee our Credit Facilities (as defined below). The indenture governing the 2027 Senior Notes contains restrictive covenants that limit, among other things, the ability of the Company, MOUSA, and the restricted subsidiaries to incur additional indebtedness or liens, dispose of assets, make certain restricted payments or investments, enter into transactions with affiliates or merge with or into other entities.
On September 13, 2019, MOUSA issued $500 million of 4.75% Senior Notes due 2029 (the “2029 Senior Notes”). The net proceeds from the issuance of the 2029 Senior Notes were used to fund, in part, the tender offer and redemption of MOUSA's senior notes due 2023. The 2029 Senior Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Murphy USA, and are guaranteed by the Company and by the Company's subsidiaries that guarantee our Credit Facilities. The indenture governing the 2029 Senior Notes contains restrictive covenants that are essentially identical to the covenants for the 2027 Senior Notes.
On January 29, 2021, MOUSA issued $500 million of 3.75% Senior Notes due 2031 (the "2031 Senior Notes"and, together with the 2027 Senior Notes and the 2029 Senior Notes, the "Senior Notes"). The net proceeds from the issuance of the 2031 Senior Notes were used, in part, to fund the acquisition of QuickChek and other obligations related to that transaction. The 2031 Senior Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Company and by the Company's subsidiaries that guarantee our Credit Facilities. The indenture governing the 2031 Senior Notes contains restrictive covenants that are essentially identical to the covenants for the 2027 and 2029 Senior Notes.
The Senior Notes and related guarantees rank equally with all of our and the guarantors’ existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness and effectively junior to our and the guarantors’ existing and future secured indebtedness (including indebtedness with respect to the Credit Facilities) to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness. The Senior Notes are structurally subordinated to all of the existing and future third-party liabilities, including trade payables, of our existing and future subsidiaries that do not guarantee the notes.
Credit Facilities and Term Loan
On January 29, 2021, the Company entered into a new credit agreement that consists of both a cash flow revolving credit facility and a senior secured term loan and that replaced the Company’s prior ABL facility and term loan contained in the credit facility that was last renewed in 2019, respectively.
The credit agreement provides for a senior secured term loan in an aggregate principal amount of $400 million (the “Term Facility”) (which was borrowed in full on January 29, 2021) and revolving credit commitments in an aggregate amount equal to $350 million (the “Revolving Facility”, and together with the Term Facility, the “Credit Facilities”).
Interest payable on the Credit Facilities is based on either:
•the London interbank offered rate, adjusted for statutory reserve requirements (the “Adjusted LIBO Rate”); or
•the Alternate Base Rate, which is defined as the highest of (a) the rate of interest last quoted by The Wall Street Journal as the “Prime Rate”, (b) the greater of federal funds effective rate and the overnight bank funding rate determined by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York from time to time plus 0.50% per annum and (c) the one-month Adjusted LIBO Rate plus 1.00% per annum,
plus, (A) in the case of Adjusted LIBO Rate borrowings, (i) with respect to the Revolving Facility, spreads ranging from 1.75% to 2.25% per annum depending on a total debt to EBITDA ratio or (ii) with respect to the Term Facility, a spread of 1.75% per annum and (B) in the case of Alternate Base Rate borrowings (i) with respect to the Revolving Facility, spreads ranging from 0.75% to 1.25% per annum depending on a total debt to EBITDA ratio or (ii) with respect to the Term Facility, a spread of 1.75% per annum.
The Term Facility amortizes in quarterly installments starting with the first amortization payment being due on July 1, 2021 at a rate of 1.00% per annum. Murphy USA is also required to prepay the Term Facility with a portion of its excess cash flow, a portion of the net cash proceeds of certain asset sales, casualty events (subject to certain reinvestment rights) and issuances of indebtedness not permitted under the Credit Agreement and with designated proceeds received from certain asset sales, issuances of indebtedness and sale-leaseback transactions, subject to certain exceptions. The Credit Agreement allows Murphy USA to prepay, in whole or in part, the Term Facility outstanding thereunder, together with any accrued and unpaid interest, with prior notice but without premium or penalty other than breakage and redeployment costs.
The credit agreement contains certain covenants that limit, among other things, the ability of the Company and certain of its subsidiaries to incur additional indebtedness or liens, to make certain investments, to enter into sale-leaseback transactions, to make certain restricted payments, to enter into consolidations, mergers or sales of material assets and other fundamental changes, to transact with affiliates, to enter into agreements restricting the
ability of subsidiaries to incur liens or pay dividends, or to make certain accounting changes. The credit agreement also contains total leverage ratio and secured net leverage ratio financial maintenance covenants which are tested quarterly. The Credit Agreement also contains customary events of default.
Supplemental Guarantor Financial Information
The following is a description of the guarantees with respect to the Senior Notes and the Credit Facilities, for which MOUSA is primary obligor, and for which the Company and certain 100% owned subsidiaries provide full and unconditional guarantees on a joint and several basis. See "-Debt" above for additional information concerning the Company's outstanding indebtedness, all of which is guaranteed as described below. See also Note 7 "Long Term Debt" in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for the three years ended December 31, 2020.
The Senior Notes and related guarantees rank equally with all of our and the guarantors’ existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness and effectively junior to our and the guarantors’ existing and future secured indebtedness (including indebtedness with respect to the Credit Facilities) to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness. The Senior Notes and related guarantees are structurally subordinated to all of the existing and future third-party liabilities, including trade payables, of our existing and future subsidiaries that do not guarantee the notes.
All obligations under the Credit Facilities are guaranteed by the Company and the same subsidiary guarantors that guarantee the Senior Notes. All obligations under the Credit Facilities, including the guarantees of those obligations, are secured by certain assets of the Company, MOUSA, and the other guarantors.
The combined assets, liabilities and results of operations of MOUSA and the guarantors are not materially different from corresponding amounts presented in the consolidated financial statements included herein. MOUSA is our primary operating subsidiary and generated the vast majority of our revenues for the year ended December 31, 2020 and accounted for the vast majority of our total assets as of December 31, 2020. In the event MOUSA itself were unable to service the Company's consolidated debt obligations, our business and financial condition would be materially adversely impacted.
Contractual Obligations
The following table summarizes our aggregate contractual fixed and variable obligations as of December 31, 2020.
(Millions of dollars) Total Less than 1 year 1-3 years 4-5 years More than 5 years
Debt obligations 1
$ 1,014.6 $ 51.2 $ 163.4 $ - $ 800.0
Operating lease obligations 244.1 16.8 31.3 29.1 166.9
Purchase obligations 2
390.0 293.2 58.1 19.6 19.1
Asset retirement obligations 160.5 - - - 160.5
Other long-term obligations, including interest on long-term debt 359.8 64.1 93.4 82.1 120.2
Total $ 2,169.0 $ 425.3 $ 346.2 $ 130.8 $ 1,266.7
1For additional information, see Note 7 “Long-Term Debt” in the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements.
2Primarily includes ongoing new retail station construction in progress at December 31, 2020, commitments to purchase land, take-or-pay supply contracts and other services. See Note 16 “Commitments” in the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Capital Spending
Capital spending and investments in our Marketing segment relate primarily to the acquisition of land and the construction of new Company stores. Our Marketing capital is also deployed to improve our existing sites, which we refer to as sustaining capital. We use sustaining capital in this business as needed to ensure reliability and continued performance of our sites. We also invest in our Corporate and other assets segment which is primarily technology related.
The following table outlines our capital spending and investments by segment for the three years ended December 31, 2020:
(Millions of dollars) 2020 2019 2018
Marketing:
Company stores $ 175.9 $ 130.5 $ 134.1
Terminals 2.0 3.6 0.6
Sustaining capital 22.9 21.4 34.5
Corporate and other assets 26.3 59.1 24.6
Total $ 227.1 $ 214.6 $ 193.8
We currently expect capital expenditures for the full year 2021 to range from approximately $325 million to $375 million, including $270-$325 million for retail growth, approximately $20 to $30 million for maintenance capital, with the remaining funds earmarked for other corporate investments and other strategic initiatives. See Note 16 “Commitments” in the audited consolidated financial statements for the three years ended December 31, 2020 included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Critical Accounting Policies
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
Individual retail sites are reviewed for impairment periodically or whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Our primary indicator that operating store assets may not be recoverable is consistent negative cash flow over a twenty-four month period for those retail sites that have been open in the same location for a sufficient period to allow for meaningful analysis of ongoing results. We also monitor other factors when evaluating retail sites for impairment, including individual site execution of operating plans and local market conditions.
When an evaluation is required, the projected future undiscounted cash flows to be generated from each retail site over its remaining economic life are compared to the carrying value of the long-lived assets of that site to determine if a write-down of the carrying value to fair value is required. When determining future cash flows associated with an individual retail site, we make assumptions about key variables such as sales volume, gross margins and expenses. Cash flows vary for each retail site year to year. Changes in market demographics, traffic patterns, competition and other factors impact the overall operations of certain of our individual retail site locations. Similar changes may occur in the future that will require us to record impairment charges. We have not made any material change in the methodology used to estimate future cash flows of retail site locations during the past three years.
Our impairment evaluations are based on assumptions we deem to be reasonable. If the actual results of our retail sites are not consistent with the estimates and judgments we have made in estimating future cash flows and determining fair values, our actual impairment losses could vary positively or negatively from our estimated impairment losses. Providing sensitivity analysis if other assumptions were used in performing the impairment evaluations is not practical due to the significant number of assumptions involved in the estimates.
Tax Matters
We are subject to extensive tax liabilities imposed by multiple jurisdictions, including income taxes, indirect taxes (excise/duty, sales/use, and gross receipts taxes), payroll taxes, franchise taxes, withholding taxes and ad valorem taxes. New tax laws and regulations and changes in existing tax laws and regulations are continuously being enacted or proposed that could result in increased expenditures for tax liabilities that cannot be predicted at this time. In addition, we have received claims from various jurisdictions related to certain tax matters. Tax liabilities include potential assessments of penalty and interest amounts.
We record tax liabilities based on our assessment of existing tax laws and regulations. A contingent loss related to a transactional tax claim is recorded if the loss is both probable and estimable. The recording of our tax liabilities requires significant judgments and estimates. Actual tax liabilities can vary from our estimates for a variety of reasons, including different interpretations of tax laws and regulations and different assessments of the amount of tax due. In addition, in determining our income tax provision, we must assess the likelihood that our deferred tax
assets will be recovered through future taxable income. Significant judgment is required in estimating the amount of valuation allowance, if any, that should be recorded against those deferred income tax assets. If our actual results of operations differ from such estimates or our estimates of future taxable income change, the valuation allowance may need to be revised. However, an estimate of the sensitivity to earnings that would result from changes in the assumptions and estimates used in determining our tax liabilities is not practicable due to the number of assumptions and tax laws involved, the various potential interpretations of the tax laws, and the wide range of possible outcomes. The Company is occasionally challenged by taxing authorities over the amount and/or timing of recognition of revenues and deductions in its various income tax returns. Although the Company believes it has adequate accruals for matters not resolved with various taxing authorities, gains or losses could occur in future years from changes in estimates or resolution of outstanding matters. See Note 9 “Income Taxes” in the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements for the three-year period ended December 31, 2020 for a further discussion of our tax liabilities.
Asset Retirement Obligations
We operate above ground and underground storage tanks at our facilities. We recognize the estimated future cost to remove these underground storage tanks (“USTs”) over their estimated useful lives. We record a discounted liability for the fair value of an asset retirement obligation with a corresponding increase to the carrying value of the related long-lived asset at the time a UST is installed. We depreciate the amount added to cost of the property and recognize accretion expense in connection with the discounted liability over the remaining life of the UST.
We have not made any material changes in the methodology used to estimate future costs for removal of a UST during the past three years. We base our estimates of such future costs on our prior experience with removal and normal and customary costs we expect to incur associated with UST removal. We compare our cost estimates with our actual removal cost experience, if any, on an annual basis, and if the actual costs we experience exceed our original estimates, we will recognize an additional liability for estimated future costs to remove the USTs. Because these estimates are subjective and are currently based on historical costs with adjustments for estimated future changes in the associated costs, the dollar amount of these obligations could change as more information is obtained. There were no material changes in our asset retirement obligation estimates during 2020, 2019, or 2018. See also Note 8 “Asset Retirement Obligation” in the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements for the three-year period ended December 31, 2020.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains certain statements or may suggest “forward-looking” information (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) that involve risk and uncertainties, including, but not limited to our M&A activity, anticipated store openings, fuel margins, merchandise margins, sales of RINs, trends in our operations, dividends, and share repurchases. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the Company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual future results may differ materially from historical results or current expectations depending upon factors including, but not limited to: the Company's ability to realize projected synergies from the acquisition of QuickChek and successfully expand our food and beverage offerings; our ability to continue to maintain a good business relationship with Walmart; successful execution of our growth strategy, including our ability to realize the anticipated benefits from such growth initiatives, and the timely completion of construction associated with our newly planned stores which may be impacted by the financial health of third parties; our ability to effectively manage our inventory, manage disruptions in our supply chain and control costs; the impact of severe weather events, such as hurricanes, floods and earthquakes; the impact of a global health pandemic, such as COVID-19 and the government reaction in response thereof; the impact of any systems failures, cybersecurity and/or security breaches, including any security breach that results in theft, transfer or unauthorized disclosure of customer, employee or company information or our compliance with information security and privacy laws and regulations in the event of such an incident; successful execution of our information technology strategy; future tobacco or e-cigarette legislation and any other efforts that make purchasing tobacco products more costly or difficult which may hurt our revenues and impact gross margins; efficient and proper allocation of our capital resources; compliance with debt covenants; availability and cost of credit; and changes in interest rates. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events, new information or future circumstances.

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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Item 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Commodity Price Risk
We are exposed to market risks related to the volatility in the price of crude oil and refined products (primarily gasoline and diesel) used in our operations. These fluctuations can affect our revenues and purchases, as well as the cost of operating, investing and financing activities. We make limited use of derivative instruments to manage certain risks related to commodity prices. The use of derivative instruments for risk management is covered by operating policies and is closely monitored by our middle-office function and the Company’s senior management.
As described in Note 12 “Financial Instruments and Risk Management” in the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements, there were short-term commodity derivative contracts in place at December 31, 2020 to hedge the purchase price of refined products. A 10% increase or decrease in the respective benchmark price of the commodities underlying these derivative contracts would have been immaterial to the Company. Changes in the fair value of these derivative contracts generally offset the changes in the value for an equivalent volume of these products.
Interest Rate Risk
We have exposure to interest rate risks related to volatility of our floating rate term loan of $250 million and to our ABL facility which currently is undrawn. Both of these loans are tied to LIBOR interest rates which can move in either direction and cause fluctuations in our interest expense recognized in any period and in our cash flows related to interest payments made. We make limited use of interest rate swaps to hedge a portion of our exposure to these rate movements. The acquisition of any interest rate derivatives is undertaken by senior management when appropriate with delegated authority from the appropriate Board level committee.
As described in Note 12 “Financial Instruments and Risk Management” in the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements, we currently have an interest rate swap that hedges exposure to one-month LIBOR for $150 million of our outstanding term loan amount at December 31, 2020. A 10% increase or decrease in the underlying interest rate would have an immaterial impact on the financial statements of the Company at December 31, 2020.

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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Information required by this item appears on Pages through, which follow the exhibit index of the Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS
Item 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None

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ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Item 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures.
Our management has evaluated, with the participation of our principal executive and financial officers, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) as of the end of the period covered by this report, and has concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective and appropriately allowed for timely decisions regarding required disclosures as of December 31, 2020.
Internal Control over Financial Reporting
The SEC, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, adopted rules that generally require every company that files reports with the SEC to evaluate its effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting.
Management has conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on the criteria set forth in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on the results of this evaluation, management concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2020. Management’s report is included on page of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, has made an independent assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020 and their report is included on page of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
There were no changes in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting that occurred during the fourth quarter of 2020 that have affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

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ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
None
Part III

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ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Item 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Certain information regarding executive officers of the Company is included under the caption “Executive Officers of the Registrant” in Part I of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Other information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 5, 2021 under the captions “Election of Directors” and “Committees”.
Murphy USA has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which can be found under the Corporate Governance tab at http://ir.corporate.murphyusa.com. Stockholders may also obtain free of charge a copy of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics by writing to the Company’s Secretary at P.O. Box 7300, El Dorado, AR 71730-5836. Any future amendments to or waivers of the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics will be posted on the Company’s Internet Web site.

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ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Item 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Information required by this item is incorporated by reference to Murphy USA’s definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 5, 2021 under the captions “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” and “Compensation of Directors” and in various compensation schedules.

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ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
Item 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
Information required by this item is incorporated by reference to Murphy USA’s definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 5, 2021 under the captions “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners,” “Security Ownership of Management,” and “Equity Compensation Plan Information.”

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ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Item 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
Information required by this item is incorporated by reference to Murphy USA’s definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 5, 2021 under the caption “Review, Approval or Ratification of Transactions with Related Persons.”

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ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
Item 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
Information required by this item is incorporated by reference to Murphy USA’s definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders on May 5, 2021 under the caption “Audit Committee Report.”
Part IV

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ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Item 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(a) 1. Financial Statements - The consolidated financial statements of Murphy USA Inc. and consolidated subsidiaries are located or begin on the pages of this Annual Report on Form 10-K as indicated below.
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Page No.
Report of Management - Financial Statements
Report of Management - Internal Controls
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Consolidated Balance Sheets
Consolidated Income Statements
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Note 1 - Description of Business and Basis of Presentation
Note 2 - Significant Accounting Policies
Note 3 - Revenues
Note 4 - Inventories
Note 5 - Property, Plant and Equipment
Note 6 - Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities
Note 7 - Long-Term Debt
Note 8 - Asset Retirement Obligation (ARO)
Note 9 - Income Taxes
Note 10 - Incentive Plans
Note 11 - Employee and Retiree Benefits
Note 12 - Financial Instruments and Risk Management
Note 13 - Earnings Per Share
Note 14 - Other Financial Information
Note 15 - Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value
Note 16 - Commitments
Note 17 - Contingencies
Note 18 - Leases
Note 19 - Recent Accounting and Reporting Rules
Note 20 - Business Segments
Note 21 - Subsequent Events
2. Financial Statement Schedules
Schedule II - Valuation Accounts and Reserves
All other financial statement schedules are omitted because they are either not applicable or the required information is included in the consolidated financial statements or notes thereto.
3. Exhibits - The following is an index of exhibits that are hereby filed as indicated by asterisk (*), that are considered furnished rather than filed, or that are incorporated by reference. Exhibits other than those listed have been omitted since they either are not required or are not applicable.
Exhibit
Number
Description
2.1 Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated August 30, 2013, between Murphy Oil Corporation and Murphy USA Inc. (incorporated by reference to Murphy USA’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed September 5, 2013)
2.2 Agreement and Plan of Merger by and amount Quick Chek Corporation, Murphy USA NJ, Inc., Murphy USA Inc. and Fortis Advisors LLC, a Shareholder Representative, dated December 12, 2020 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to Murphy USA's Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 1, 2021)
2.3 Amendment to Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of January 29, 2021, by and among Murphy USA Inc., Quick Chek Corporation, Murphy USA NJ, Inc. and Fortis Advisors LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.2 to Murphy USA's Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 1, 2021)
3.1 Murphy USA Inc. Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to Murphy USA’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed November 8, 2013)
3.2 Murphy USA Inc. Amended and Restated Bylaws (incorporated by reference to Murphy USA’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed November 8, 2013)
4.1 Indenture (including form of notes) dated as of April 25, 2017 among Murphy Oil USA, Inc., Murphy USA Inc., as a guarantor, the other guarantors party thereto and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Murphy USA's Current Report on Form 8-K filed April 25, 2017)
4.2 Indenture dated as of September 13, 2019 among Murphy Oil USA, Inc., Murphy USA Inc., as a guarantor, the other guarantor party thereto and UMB Bank, N.A., as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Murphy USA's Current Report on Form 8-K filed September 13, 2019)
4.3 Indenture dated as of January 29, 2021, by and among Murphy Oil USA, Inc., Murphy USA Inc., as a guarantor, the other guarantors party thereto and UMB Bank, N.A., as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Murphy USA's Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 1, 2021)
4.4* Description of Registrant's Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
10.1 Tax Matters Agreement, dated August 30, 2013, between Murphy Oil Corporation and Murphy USA Inc. (incorporated by reference to Murphy USA’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed September 5, 2013)
10.2 Trademark License Agreement, dated August 30, 2013, between Murphy Oil Corporation and Murphy USA Inc. (incorporated by reference to Murphy USA’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed September 5, 2013)
10.6 Severance Protection Agreement dated as of August 20, 2013 between Murphy USA and R. Andrew Clyde, (incorporated by reference to Murphy USA’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed August 22, 2013)†
10.7 Murphy USA Inc. 2013 Long-Term Incentive Plan, as amended and restated effective as of February 9, 2017)† (incorporated by reference to Murphy USA Inc's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed February 22, 2017)
10.8 Murphy USA Inc. 2013 Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors (incorporated by reference to Murphy USA’s Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-191131) filed September 12, 2013)†
10.9 Murphy USA Inc. Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan, as amended and restated, on October 1, 2018 and effective January 1, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.11 to Murphy USA's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed February 19, 2019) †
10.10* Form of Murphy USA 2013 Long-Term Incentive Plan Option Grant Agreement †
10.11* Form of Murphy USA 2013 Long-Term Incentive Plan RSU Agreement †
10.12* Form of Murphy USA 2013 Long-Term Incentive Plan Performance Share Agreement †
10.13* Form of Murphy USA 2013 Non-Employee Director Award †
10.14 Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of August 27, 2019, among Murphy Oil USA, Inc.as borrower, Murphy USA Inc., certain subsidiaries of Murphy Oil USA, Inc. as borrowing subsidiaries, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and the lenders party thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Murphy USA's Current Report on Form 8-K as filed August 29, 2019)
10.15 Murphy USA Inc. 2019 Annual Incentive Plan, as amended and restated, on February 7, 2019 and effective as of January 1, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.20 to Murphy USA's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed February 19, 2019)†
10.16 Credit Agreement, dated as of January 29, 2021, by and among Murphy USA Inc., Murphy Oil USA, Inc., Royal Bank of Canada, as term administrative agent, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as revolving administrative agent, and the lenders party thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Murphy USA's Current Report on Form 8-K as filed February 1, 2021)
21* List of Subsidiaries of Murphy USA
22* List of Subsidiary Guarantors and Issuers of Guaranteed Debt
23.1* Consent of KPMG LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
31.1* Certification required by Rule 13a-14(a) pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 of Principal Executive Officer
31.2* Certification required by Rule 13a-14(a) pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 of Principal Financial Officer
32.1* Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 of Principal Executive Officer
32.2* Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 of Principal Financial Officer
101. INS Inline XBRL Instance Document - the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL documents
101. SCH* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101. CAL* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101. DEF* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101. LAB* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase Document
101. PRE* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File - the cover page interactive data file does not appear in the Interactive Data file because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document
* Filed herewith
† Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement