UBS Group AG Buys 587,826 Shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. $MDU

Key Points

• UBS Group AG increased its stake in MDU Resources Group by 60.3% in the fourth quarter, buying 587,826 additional shares. The firm now owns about 1.56 million shares valued at roughly $30.5 million.
• MDU’s latest earnings missed expectations, with first-quarter EPS of $0.39 versus $0.42 expected and revenue of $605.98 million versus $688.34 million expected. Management also cited weaker sales and earnings due to milder weather and higher interest costs.
• The company kept its 2026 guidance unchanged at $0.93 to $1.00 EPS and reported strong open season interest for its proposed Bakken East Pipeline Project. Despite that, analysts currently rate the stock a Hold on average, with a consensus price target of $21.25.

UBS Group AG grew its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Free Report) by 60.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 1,563,466 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 587,826 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG owned approximately 0.76% of MDU Resources Group worth $30,519,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the third quarter worth $487,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 35.4% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 685,347 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $12,206,000 after purchasing an additional 179,357 shares during the last quarter. Alpine Global Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the third quarter worth $2,216,000. Perpetual Ltd bought a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter worth $22,031,000. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 490.5% in the fourth quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 294,629 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $5,751,000 after purchasing an additional 244,733 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.44% of the company's stock.

Key MDU Resources Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting MDU Resources Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: MDU reported strong open season interest for its proposed Bakken East Pipeline Project, which could support future growth if the project advances successfully.
• Neutral Sentiment: The company affirmed 2026 guidance of $0.93 to $1.00 EPS, signaling management still expects full-year performance to remain on track despite a weak quarter.
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerages now have a consensus Hold recommendation on MDU Resources, reflecting a cautious stance after the earnings report.
• Negative Sentiment: First-quarter results showed lower sales and earnings than expected, with milder weather and higher interest costs weighing on performance. MDU Resources Reports First Quarter 2026 Results; Progress on Proposed Bakken East Pipeline

Insider Buying and Selling at MDU Resources Group

In related news, Director Charles M. Kelley acquired 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $20.84 per share, for a total transaction of $104,200.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 8,031 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $167,366.04. This trade represents a 164.96% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MDU has been the topic of several analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $22.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Citigroup reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Loop Capital set a $21.00 price target on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $21.25.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

Shares of MDU opened at $22.48 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.14 and a beta of 0.70. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $21.27 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $20.55. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $15.76 and a 12 month high of $22.83.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.42 by ($0.03). MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 10.47% and a return on equity of 6.92%. The company had revenue of $605.98 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $688.34 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.40 EPS. MDU Resources Group's revenue for the quarter was down 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. MDU Resources Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.930-1.000 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.98 EPS for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 12th were issued a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. MDU Resources Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 60.22%.

MDU Resources Group Company Profile

MDU Resources Group, Inc is a diversified energy and services holding company headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota. The company operates through two primary segments: Utilities and Construction Services and Pipelines & Midstream. Serving a broad geographic footprint across the upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest, MDU provides essential energy distribution and infrastructure services to residential, commercial and industrial customers.

The Utilities segment delivers electric and natural gas distribution services in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, Wisconsin, Michigan and Washington.

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