Advisors Preferred LLC Makes New $5.69 Million Investment in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Advisors Preferred LLC bought a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 317,251 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $5,691,000. MDU Resources Group comprises about 0.9% of Advisors Preferred LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding. Advisors Preferred LLC owned about 0.16% of MDU Resources Group as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 1.8% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,344,185 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $174,713,000 after acquiring an additional 114,719 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in MDU Resources Group by 1.8% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,719,543 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $101,978,000 after acquiring an additional 65,433 shares during the period. Hennessy Advisors Inc. increased its position in MDU Resources Group by 1,098.5% during the 4th quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 2,155,007 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $38,833,000 after purchasing an additional 1,975,200 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 5.1% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,082,468 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $57,080,000 after purchasing an additional 101,955 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,782,538 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $48,859,000 after purchasing an additional 33,982 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.44% of the company’s stock.

MDU Resources Group Price Performance

MDU stock opened at $16.57 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $18.33 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $22.61. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $14.91 and a 52 week high of $30.52. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.80.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.03. MDU Resources Group had a return on equity of 10.20% and a net margin of 7.31%. Analysts anticipate that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 12th were paid a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 12th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.14%. MDU Resources Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.68%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MDU has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Siebert Williams Shank upgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, November 4th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on MDU Resources Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a “hold” rating and a $18.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America raised MDU Resources Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $31.00 to $17.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $21.00.

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.