Hennessy Advisors Inc. Decreases Position in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Hennessy Advisors Inc. trimmed its position in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Free Report) by 8.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,977,407 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 177,600 shares during the period. MDU Resources Group makes up approximately 1.1% of Hennessy Advisors Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Hennessy Advisors Inc. owned 0.97% of MDU Resources Group worth $33,438,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 132.0% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 6,999,856 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $126,137,000 after purchasing an additional 3,982,783 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in MDU Resources Group by 16.6% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 22,997,452 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $414,414,000 after buying an additional 3,276,114 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,857,000. Pertento Partners LLP lifted its position in MDU Resources Group by 90.3% in the fourth quarter. Pertento Partners LLP now owns 2,990,144 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $53,882,000 after buying an additional 1,419,118 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 300.1% in the 4th quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 691,993 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $12,470,000 after purchasing an additional 519,029 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.44% of the company's stock.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

MDU stock remained flat at $16.19 during midday trading on Tuesday. 1,467,284 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,405,683. The company has a market capitalization of $3.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.72. 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, Inc. has a 12 month low of $13.23 and a 12 month high of $20.39. The company's fifty day moving average price is $16.95 and its 200-day moving average price is $17.34.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 8th. The utilities provider reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.36 by $0.04. MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 7.31% and a return on equity of 10.20%. The company had revenue of $674.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $653.13 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.52 earnings per share. MDU Resources Group's revenue for the quarter was up 14.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 12th will be given a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.21%. MDU Resources Group's payout ratio is 40.31%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Wall Street Zen raised MDU Resources Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, May 12th.

MDU Resources Group 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.