Vanguard Group Inc. Boosts Stake in MDU Resources Group, Inc. $MDU

Key Points

• Vanguard Group Inc. has increased its stake in MDU Resources Group by 1.8%, owning over 23 million shares, valued at approximately $395.79 million, as of the end of the first quarter.
• MDU Resources Group's quarterly earnings report showed a missed EPS estimate of $0.07 compared to the expected $0.13, while revenue increased 1.9% year-over-year.
• The company announced a dividend increase to $0.14 per share for the upcoming payment, reflecting a positive change from the previous $0.13, with a dividend yield of 3.4%.

Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Free Report) by 1.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 23,405,598 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 408,146 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 11.45% of MDU Resources Group worth $395,789,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MDU. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 179.0% in the first 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 in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 241.9% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,843 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 1,304 shares in the last quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter valued at $54,000. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter valued at $82,000. Finally, Garde Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the first quarter valued at $82,000. 71.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

MDU Resources Group Stock Down 0.2%

NYSE MDU traded down $0.0250 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $16.3750. 1,906,017 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,557,911. The stock has a market cap of $3.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.74. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $16.69 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $16.82. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.13 by ($0.06). The business 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 quarterly revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.32 earnings per share. MDU Resources Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 0.880-0.950 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%. This is an increase from MDU Resources Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. MDU Resources Group's payout ratio is 49.06%.

Insider Transactions at MDU Resources Group

In other MDU Resources Group news, CFO Jason L. Vollmer purchased 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 19th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $16.27 per share, with a total value of $81,350.00. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer directly owned 339,548 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,524,445.96. This represents a 1.49% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.94% of the stock is owned by company 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.