Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC Invests $12.36 Million in MDU Resources Group, Inc. $MDU

Key Points

• Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC has acquired a new position in MDU Resources Group, purchasing 730,960 shares valued at approximately $12.36 million, representing 0.36% ownership of the company.
• The company recently declared an increased quarterly dividend of $0.14 per share, up from $0.13, resulting in an annualized dividend of $0.56 with a yield of 3.4%.
• MDU Resources Group's CFO, Jason L. Vollmer, bought 5,000 shares at an average price of $16.27 each, increasing his ownership by 1.49% to a total of 339,548 shares valued at approximately $5.52 million.

Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 730,960 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $12,361,000. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC owned 0.36% of MDU Resources Group at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its position in MDU Resources Group by 179.0% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,518 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 974 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 241.9% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,843 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 1,304 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in MDU Resources Group during the 1st quarter worth about $48,000. Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in MDU Resources Group during the 4th quarter worth about $54,000. Finally, Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC bought a new position in MDU Resources Group during the 4th quarter worth about $82,000. 71.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Jason L. Vollmer bought 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 19th. The shares were bought at an average price of $16.27 per share, with a total value of $81,350.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 339,548 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,524,445.96. This trade represents a 1.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.94% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Wall Street Zen cut shares of MDU Resources Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $18.00.

MDU Resources Group Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of MDU traded down $0.09 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $16.34. 262,315 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,686,632. The company has a market capitalization of $3.34 billion, a PE ratio of 15.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The business has a 50 day moving average of $16.71 and a 200 day moving average of $16.79. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $14.91 and a 1-year high of $30.52.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.07 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.13 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $351.20 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $315.67 million. MDU Resources Group had a return on equity of 8.29% and a net margin of 8.25%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.32 EPS. MDU Resources Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 0.880-0.950 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 EPS for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 11th will be given a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 11th. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. This is a boost from MDU Resources Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. MDU Resources Group's payout ratio is presently 49.06%.

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.