Victory Capital Management Inc. Lowers Stock Holdings in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Victory Capital Management Inc. lowered its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 73.3% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 151,289 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 415,410 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in MDU Resources Group were worth $2,726,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MDU. Principal Securities Inc. boosted its position in MDU Resources Group by 164.4% during the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,470 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 914 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 158.9% in the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,196 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 734 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 99.6% in the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 1,834 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 915 shares in the last quarter. Crews Bank & Trust purchased a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 19.4% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,505 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $63,000 after acquiring an additional 570 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.44% of the company’s stock.

MDU Resources Group Price Performance

NYSE:MDU opened at $16.89 on Monday. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a one year low of $12.30 and a one year high of $20.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.15. The stock has a market cap of $3.45 billion, a PE ratio of 12.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.81. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $17.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $20.98.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.03. MDU Resources Group had a return on equity of 10.20% and a net margin of 7.31%. Equities research analysts expect that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 13th will be issued a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 13th. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.08%. MDU Resources Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.68%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on MDU shares. StockNews.com downgraded MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on MDU Resources Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $18.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $21.00.

Insider Activity at MDU Resources Group

In other MDU Resources Group news, Director Dennis W. Johnson bought 30,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The stock was bought at an average price of $16.64 per share, with a total value of $499,200.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 180,166 shares in the company, valued at $2,997,962.24. The trade was a 19.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

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.