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

Advisors Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 19.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 278,319 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 44,587 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in MDU Resources Group were worth $5,015,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 19.4% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,505 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $63,000 after purchasing an additional 570 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its stake 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 worth $896,000 after buying an additional 641 shares during the period. Ingalls & Snyder LLC lifted its holdings 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 worth $1,078,000 after buying an additional 850 shares in the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. boosted its position 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 valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 914 shares during the last quarter. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew 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 valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 915 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.44% of the company’s stock.

MDU Resources Group Stock Up 1.8 %

NYSE:MDU opened at $17.16 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.15. The company 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 one year low of $12.43 and a one year high of $20.39. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $17.28 and a 200 day simple moving average of $20.83.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last issued its 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 return on equity of 10.20% and a net margin of 7.31%. Sell-side analysts predict that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 EPS 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. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 13th will be issued a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 13th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.03%. MDU Resources Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 37.68%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on MDU. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on MDU Resources Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $18.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com lowered MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $21.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Dennis W. Johnson bought 30,000 shares of MDU Resources Group stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The stock was purchased 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 trade represents a 19.98 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.59% of the company’s stock.

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.