MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) Now Covered by Analysts at StockNews.com

StockNews.com started coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) in a note issued to investors on Thursday. The firm set a “hold” rating on the utilities provider’s stock.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on MDU. Bank of America upgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $31.00 to $17.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Siebert Williams Shank raised shares of MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, November 4th.

MDU Resources Group Stock Up 1.2 %

MDU stock opened at $18.25 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. MDU Resources Group has a twelve month low of $14.91 and a twelve month high of $30.52. The stock has a market cap of $3.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.36, a PEG ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.79. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $21.14 and its 200-day moving average price is $24.18.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.01. MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 8.92% and a return on equity of 11.24%. The company had revenue of $1.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $969.17 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.29 EPS. MDU Resources Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that MDU Resources Group will post 1.13 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MDU Resources Group

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in MDU Resources Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in MDU Resources Group in the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 158.9% during the 3rd quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,196 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 734 shares during the period. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in MDU Resources Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 23.9% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,142 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 413 shares in the last quarter. 71.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.