MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• MDU Resources Group has received a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from five brokerages, with an average 12-month target price of $18.67.
• The company recently increased its quarterly dividend from $0.13 to $0.14, resulting in a dividend yield of 2.9%.
• MDU's CFO purchased 5,000 shares at $16.07 each, indicating insider confidence in the company's performance.

Shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the five brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $18.6667.

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded MDU Resources Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Cowen assumed coverage on MDU Resources Group in a research report on Wednesday. They set a "hold" rating for the company. Jefferies Financial Group raised MDU Resources Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $20.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, September 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised MDU Resources Group from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th.

MDU Resources Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MDU traded up $0.18 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $19.31. 2,449,425 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,803,605. The firm has a market cap of $3.95 billion, a PE ratio of 18.22, a PEG ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.70. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $16.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $16.86. MDU Resources Group has a 12 month low of $14.91 and a 12 month high of $30.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.74.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) last released 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). MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 8.25% and a return on equity of 8.29%. The business had revenue of $351.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $315.67 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.32 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. MDU Resources Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 0.880-0.950 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that MDU Resources Group will post 0.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 11th were issued a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 11th. This is a boost from MDU Resources Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. MDU Resources Group's payout ratio is currently 52.83%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MDU Resources Group news, CFO Jason L. Vollmer purchased 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 8th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $16.07 per share, for a total transaction of $80,350.00. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 344,548 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,536,886.36. The trade was a 1.47% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.94% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MDU Resources Group

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. IFM Investors Pty Ltd bought a new position in MDU Resources Group during the 3rd quarter worth $255,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in MDU Resources Group by 21.1% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 9,273 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $165,000 after buying an additional 1,613 shares during the period. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new position in MDU Resources Group during the 3rd quarter worth $889,000. Cascade Investment Advisors Inc. increased its position in MDU Resources Group by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. Cascade Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 102,931 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,833,000 after buying an additional 3,550 shares during the period. Finally, Voya Investment Management LLC increased its position in MDU Resources Group by 150.8% during the 3rd quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 56,818 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,012,000 after buying an additional 34,164 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 71.44% of the company's stock.

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.

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