MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) Shares Sold by Balyasny Asset Management L.P.

Balyasny Asset Management L.P. trimmed its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Free Report) by 90.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 34,014 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 337,900 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P.'s holdings in MDU Resources Group were worth $613,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MDU. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 132.0% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 6,999,856 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $126,137,000 after buying an additional 3,982,783 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 16.6% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 22,997,452 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $414,414,000 after purchasing an additional 3,276,114 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group during the fourth quarter worth about $40,857,000. Hennessy Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 1,098.5% in the 4th quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 2,155,007 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $38,833,000 after purchasing an additional 1,975,200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pertento Partners LLP boosted its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 90.3% in the 4th quarter. Pertento Partners LLP now owns 2,990,144 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $53,882,000 after purchasing an additional 1,419,118 shares during the period. 71.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

MDU traded up $0.33 during trading on Monday, hitting $17.75. The stock had a trading volume of 1,698,226 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,468,582. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $13.23 and a twelve month high of $20.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.86, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.72. 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's 50-day moving average price is $16.82 and its 200 day moving average price is $17.55.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The utilities provider reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $674.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $653.13 million. MDU Resources Group had a return on equity of 10.20% and a net margin of 7.31%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 14.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.52 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.93%. MDU Resources Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.31%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded MDU Resources Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $21.00.

About MDU Resources Group

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.