MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) Stock Position Raised by Legal & General Group Plc

Legal & General Group Plc boosted its position in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Free Report) by 54.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 692,779 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 243,207 shares during the quarter. Legal & General Group Plc owned approximately 0.34% of MDU Resources Group worth $12,484,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $640,000. Riverwater Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Riverwater Partners LLC now owns 50,714 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $914,000 after buying an additional 1,151 shares during the last quarter. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. acquired a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $496,000. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. raised its stake in MDU Resources Group by 84.4% during the fourth quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 2,487 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 1,138 shares during the period. Finally, ExodusPoint Capital Management LP bought a new position in MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter worth about $2,117,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.44% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MDU has been the topic of a number of research reports. StockNews.com cut MDU Resources Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a "hold" rating and a $18.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $21.00.

Insider Activity

In other MDU Resources Group news, Director Dennis W. Johnson acquired 30,000 shares of MDU Resources Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was bought at an average price of $16.64 per share, for a total transaction of $499,200.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 180,166 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,997,962.24. This trade represents a 19.98 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.94% of the stock is owned by insiders.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MDU traded up $0.34 on Tuesday, hitting $16.74. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,017,701 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,503,703. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $13.23 and a 12 month high of $20.39. The stock's 50-day moving average is $16.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $19.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.15. The company has a market capitalization of $3.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.68.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.03. MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 7.31% and a return on equity of 10.20%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 EPS for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 13th were paid a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.11%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 13th. MDU Resources Group's payout ratio is currently 37.68%.

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.