Greenleaf Trust Raises Holdings in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Greenleaf Trust raised its position in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 9.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 10,257 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 890 shares during the period. Greenleaf Trust’s holdings in MDU Resources Group were worth $281,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MDU. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group during the third quarter worth $25,000. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in MDU Resources Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in 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 valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 413 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in MDU Resources Group by 238.1% in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $163,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.44% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on MDU. Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $31.00 price target (up previously from $30.00) on shares of MDU Resources Group in a report on Monday, October 21st. StockNews.com assumed coverage on MDU Resources Group in a research note on Sunday, October 20th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

MDU Resources Group stock opened at $28.78 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $26.85 and a 200-day simple moving average of $25.73. The stock has a market cap of $5.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.22 and a quick ratio of 1.15. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $18.04 and a 1-year high of $30.52.

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

MDU Resources Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 12th were given a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 12th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.81%. This is a boost from MDU Resources Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. MDU Resources Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.00%.

MDU Resources Group Profile

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.