Nisa Investment Advisors LLC Lowers Position in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Nisa Investment Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 13.1% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 52,488 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 7,900 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in MDU Resources Group were worth $1,446,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of MDU. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in MDU Resources Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 23.9% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,142 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 413 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 238.1% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,935 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $74,000 after purchasing an additional 2,067 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new stake in MDU Resources Group during the second quarter valued at about $163,000. Institutional investors own 71.44% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on MDU shares. Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $31.00 price target (up from $30.00) on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research report on Monday, October 21st. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research note on Monday, October 28th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company.

MDU Resources Group Price Performance

Shares of MDU stock opened at $15.10 on Monday. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $14.91 and a fifty-two week high of $30.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.55, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.76. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $27.00 and its 200-day simple moving average is $25.82.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The utilities provider reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.21 by $0.11. MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 9.25% and a return on equity of 11.29%. The business had revenue of $1.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.29 EPS. MDU Resources Group’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 1.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 21st were given a dividend of $12.875 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 1st. MDU Resources Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.00%.

About MDU Resources Group

MDU Resources Group, Inc engages in the regulated energy delivery, and construction materials and services businesses in the United States. It operates through four segments: Electric, Natural Gas Distribution, Pipeline, and Construction Services. The Electric segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity for residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming; and operates 3,400 miles of transmission lines, 4,800 miles of distribution lines, and 82 transmission and 298 distribution substations.