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Murphy USA vs Williams-Sonoma: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The structural profiles are close, with Murphy USA carrying a narrow edge on profitability. Williams-Sonoma still has the edge on profitability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is mixed, without a decisive signal in either direction. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the Russell 1000 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-08-16

Profitability points more clearly toward Williams-Sonoma, Inc., even if the broader score still leans toward Murphy USA Inc..

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Specialty Retail

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. MUSA and WSM share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Murphy USA and Williams-Sonoma each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
MUSA
Murphy USA Inc.
58
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
Peer basis: Russell 1000
vs
WSM
Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
56
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: MUSA vs WSM Profitability 29 81 Stability 68 36 Valuation 70 54 Growth 76 44 MUSA WSM
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +52
#2 Growth +32
#3 Stability +32
#4 Valuation +16
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for MUSA and WSM Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer MUSAWSM Relative valuation Structural strength

The structural gap is limited here, but current pricing still leans against Williams-Sonoma, Inc..

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where MUSA and WSM each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY MUSA Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 0 pct gap WSM Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 99th 99th
MUSA (99th percentile) and WSM (99th percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. ranks near the top of the group on profitability; Murphy USA Inc. sits in the weaker half.
Growth
On growth, the same pattern holds: both are strong, but Murphy USA Inc. still leads clearly.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
MUSA
29
WSM
81
Gap+52in favour of WSM

Return on equity adds support too, with a 26-point advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Stability is the one area where Williams-Sonoma, Inc. still pushes back materially — it is the steadier name on this dimension, which keeps the result from reading as one-way.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both profitability and growth — though profitability still provides a counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the MUSA vs WSM comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how MUSA and WSM each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.