Private Advisor Group LLC Grows Position in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Private Advisor Group LLC grew its stake in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 5.5% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 70,373 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 3,682 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC’s holdings in MDU Resources Group were worth $1,268,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in MDU Resources Group by 19.4% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,505 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $63,000 after acquiring an additional 570 shares during the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its stake in MDU Resources Group by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 32,739 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $896,000 after buying an additional 641 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 158.9% during the 3rd quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,196 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 734 shares in the last quarter. Ingalls & Snyder LLC boosted its position in MDU Resources Group by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Ingalls & Snyder LLC now owns 39,335 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,078,000 after buying an additional 850 shares during the period. Finally, Principal Securities Inc. grew its stake in MDU Resources Group by 164.4% in the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,470 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 914 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.44% of the company’s stock.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

Shares of MDU stock opened at $16.86 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $17.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $21.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.15. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $14.91 and a 1 year high of $30.52. The firm has a market cap of $3.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.21, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.80.

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

MDU Resources Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 13th. MDU Resources Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.68%.

Insider Transactions at MDU Resources Group

In related news, Director Dennis W. Johnson acquired 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $16.64 per share, with a total value of $499,200.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 180,166 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,997,962.24. This represents a 19.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Siebert Williams Shank upgraded MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, November 4th. Bank of America upgraded MDU Resources Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $31.00 to $17.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on MDU Resources Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a “hold” rating and a $18.00 target price on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, February 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, MDU Resources Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target 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.