MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) Earns Hold Rating from Analysts at StockNews.com

StockNews.com began coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) in a report published on Saturday. The firm issued a hold rating on the utilities provider’s stock.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

MDU Resources Group stock opened at $28.86 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 0.77. The company’s 50-day moving average is $26.03 and its 200 day moving average is $25.48. MDU Resources Group has a 1-year low of $18.04 and a 1-year high of $28.92. 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 (NYSE:MDU) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The utilities provider reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.21 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $1.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.06 billion. MDU Resources Group had a return on equity of 11.29% and a net margin of 9.25%. The business’s revenue was down 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.29 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that MDU Resources Group will post 1.58 EPS for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, September 12th were issued a $0.13 dividend. This is an increase from MDU Resources Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.80%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 12th. MDU Resources Group’s payout ratio is presently 22.22%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 6.4% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 87,051 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,724,000 after acquiring an additional 5,206 shares in the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group during the first quarter valued at about $208,000. Tompkins Financial Corp boosted its stake in MDU Resources Group by 22.2% in the first quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 4,404 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $111,000 after acquiring an additional 800 shares in the last quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group during the first quarter worth $207,000. Finally, First PREMIER Bank increased its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 5.0% during the first quarter. First PREMIER Bank now owns 31,757 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $801,000 after purchasing an additional 1,520 shares in the last quarter. 71.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.