StockNews.com Downgrades MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) to Sell

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) was downgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Bank of America upgraded MDU Resources Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $31.00 to $17.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Siebert Williams Shank upgraded MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 price target for the company in a report on Monday, November 4th. Finally, 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 for the company. 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, MDU Resources Group has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $21.00.

MDU Resources Group Trading Down 0.3 %

MDU Resources Group stock opened at $16.64 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $3.39 billion, a PE ratio of 12.06, a P/E/G ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $17.79 and a 200 day moving average price of $21.92. MDU Resources Group has a 52 week low of $14.91 and a 52 week high of $30.52.

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

Insider Transactions at MDU Resources Group

In other MDU Resources Group news, Director Dennis W. Johnson bought 30,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $16.64 per share, with a total value of $499,200.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 180,166 shares in the company, valued at $2,997,962.24. This trade represents a 19.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MDU Resources Group

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Principal Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 164.4% during the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,470 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 914 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its position in 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 purchasing an additional 734 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 99.6% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Crews Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the third quarter valued at about $40,000. 71.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.