MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) Shares Acquired by Advisors Asset Management Inc.

Advisors Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 19.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 278,319 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 44,587 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc. owned 0.14% of MDU Resources Group worth $5,015,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 19.4% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,505 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $63,000 after purchasing an additional 570 shares during the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 32,739 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $896,000 after buying an additional 641 shares during the last quarter. Ingalls & Snyder LLC increased its position in MDU Resources Group by 2.2% during the third quarter. Ingalls & Snyder LLC now owns 39,335 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,078,000 after buying an additional 850 shares in the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. raised its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 164.4% in the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,470 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 914 shares during the last quarter. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 99.6% in the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 1,834 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 915 shares in the last quarter. 71.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MDU Resources Group Stock Up 1.8 %

MDU opened at $17.16 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.81. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $12.43 and a 12 month high of $20.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 1.07. The business has a 50-day moving average of $17.28 and a two-hundred day moving average of $20.83.

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

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 13th. MDU Resources Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.68%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on MDU shares. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on MDU Resources Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a “hold” rating and a $18.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com lowered shares of MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, MDU Resources Group currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $21.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MDU Resources Group news, Director Dennis W. Johnson purchased 30,000 shares of MDU Resources Group stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $16.64 per share, with a total value of $499,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 180,166 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,997,962.24. This represents a 19.98 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.59% of the stock is currently owned by 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.