ING Groep NV Sells 18,892 Shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

ING Groep NV decreased its position in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 7.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 238,108 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 18,892 shares during the quarter. ING Groep NV’s holdings in MDU Resources Group were worth $4,291,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Principal Securities Inc. raised its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 164.4% during the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,470 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 914 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised 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 worth $33,000 after buying an additional 734 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 99.6% during the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 1,834 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 915 shares during the period. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in MDU Resources Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in MDU Resources Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $40,000. Institutional investors own 71.44% of the company’s stock.

MDU Resources Group Price Performance

Shares of MDU opened at $16.64 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $3.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.06, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.80. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $14.91 and a 1-year high of $30.52. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $17.79 and its 200 day simple moving average is $21.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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%. On average, research analysts forecast that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 13th will be given a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 13th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.12%. MDU Resources Group’s payout ratio is presently 37.68%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MDU has been the topic 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 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, November 4th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $18.00 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Bank of America upgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $31.00 to $17.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $21.00.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Dennis W. Johnson purchased 30,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $16.64 per share, with a total value of $499,200.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly 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 purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.