MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) Stock Position Raised by Commonwealth Equity Services LLC

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC raised its stake in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 5.8% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 148,911 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 8,214 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC’s holdings in MDU Resources Group were worth $2,683,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in MDU. Principal Securities Inc. grew its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 914 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its position in MDU Resources Group by 99.6% in the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 1,834 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 915 shares during the last quarter. Crews Bank & Trust bought a new position in MDU Resources Group in the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. Millburn Ridgefield Corp acquired a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $82,000. Finally, Quest Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $83,000. 71.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MDU has been the topic of several analyst reports. StockNews.com cut MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a “hold” rating and a $18.00 price objective on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $21.00.

Insider Activity at MDU Resources Group

In related news, Director Dennis W. Johnson bought 30,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $16.64 per share, for a total transaction of $499,200.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 180,166 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,997,962.24. The trade was a 19.98 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

MDU opened at $16.79 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $17.18 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $20.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 1.07. The company has a market capitalization of $3.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.81. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $12.99 and a 1-year high of $20.39.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 earnings per share 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%. Research analysts predict that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced 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 is Thursday, March 13th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.10%. MDU Resources Group’s payout ratio is currently 37.68%.

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.