MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) Lowered to "Sell" Rating by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• MDU Resources Group has been downgraded from a "hold" to a "sell" rating by Wall Street Zen, signaling a bearish outlook for the stock.
• The company reported $0.07 earnings per share for the most recent quarter, missing estimates by $0.06, despite revenue increasing by 1.9% year-over-year to $351.20 million.
• Institutional ownership of MDU Resources Group stands at 71.44%, with various hedge funds significantly increasing their stakes recently.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

MDU Resources Group stock traded down $0.04 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $16.48. 2,294,049 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,697,762. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.37 billion, a PE ratio of 15.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.71. MDU Resources Group has a 12-month low of $14.91 and a 12-month high of $30.52. The business's 50-day moving average is $16.76 and its 200-day moving average is $16.88.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.07 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.13 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $351.20 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $315.67 million. MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 8.25% and a return on equity of 8.29%. The firm's revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.32 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that MDU Resources Group will post 0.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of MDU Resources Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 28.6% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 66,160 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,119,000 after acquiring an additional 14,701 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted 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 worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 1,304 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 8.7% in the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 21,663 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $366,000 after acquiring an additional 1,742 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter worth about $185,000. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. boosted its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 16.5% in the 1st quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 69,446 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,174,000 after purchasing an additional 9,846 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.44% of the company's stock.

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.