MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) Stock Position Lifted by Advisors Asset Management Inc.

Advisors Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 20.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 205,763 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 34,859 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc. owned about 0.10% of MDU Resources Group worth $5,185,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. TFO Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in MDU Resources Group by 16,070.0% during the fourth quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,617 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 1,607 shares in the last quarter. Planned Solutions Inc. purchased a new position in MDU Resources Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $66,000. Tompkins Financial Corp grew its position in MDU Resources Group by 22.2% during the first quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 4,404 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $111,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares in the last quarter. Mendota Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in MDU Resources Group by 32.9% in the first quarter. Mendota Financial Group LLC now owns 5,920 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $149,000 after acquiring an additional 1,465 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IVC Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in MDU Resources Group in the first quarter valued at approximately $202,000. 71.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at MDU Resources Group

In other news, insider Rob L. Johnson acquired 36,291 shares of MDU Resources Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 7th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $25.46 per share, for a total transaction of $923,968.86. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider now owns 41,934 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,067,639.64. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have issued reports on MDU shares. Argus upgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $30.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, May 20th. StockNews.com cut shares of MDU Resources Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday.

MDU Resources Group Stock Up 1.9 %

NYSE MDU traded up $0.51 during trading on Friday, reaching $27.18. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 828,333 shares, compared to its average volume of 958,863. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.54 billion, a PE ratio of 11.61, a PEG ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.77. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $25.27 and a 200-day moving average price of $23.44. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $18.04 and a 1-year high of $27.30.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The utilities provider reported $0.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.47 by $0.05. MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 10.74% and a return on equity of 11.42%. The business had revenue of $1.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.33 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.23 earnings per share. MDU Resources Group’s revenue for the quarter was down 15.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 1.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 13th were paid a $0.125 dividend. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.84%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 13th. MDU Resources Group’s payout ratio is 21.37%.

MDU Resources Group Company 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.