MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) Rating Increased to Hold (C-) at Weiss Ratings

Key Points

• MDU Resources Group has been upgraded from a "sell (d+)" to a "hold (c-)" rating by Weiss Ratings, reflecting a more favorable outlook for the company.
• MDU Resources has a current stock price of $18.48, with a market cap of $3.78 billion and a consensus target price of $18.67 among analysts.
• Despite the recent upgrade, Wall Street Zen downgraded the stock to a "sell" rating, indicating mixed opinions among analysts regarding MDU's investment potential.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Weiss Ratings from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report issued on Wednesday,Weiss Ratings reports.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of MDU Resources Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $20.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, September 19th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, MDU Resources Group presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $18.67.

MDU Resources Group Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of NYSE:MDU opened at $18.48 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $3.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. MDU Resources Group has a 12 month low of $14.91 and a 12 month high of $30.52. The company's 50-day moving average price is $16.77 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $16.79.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.13 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $351.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.32 EPS. MDU Resources Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 0.880-0.950 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that MDU Resources Group will post 0.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MDU Resources Group news, CFO Jason L. Vollmer bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, September 8th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $16.07 per share, with a total value of $80,350.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 344,548 shares in the company, valued at $5,536,886.36. The trade was a 1.47% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.94% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its position in MDU Resources Group by 28.6% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 66,160 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $1,119,000 after buying an additional 14,701 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 241.9% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,843 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 1,304 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group during the second quarter worth approximately $1,646,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 8.7% during the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 21,663 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $366,000 after purchasing an additional 1,742 shares during the period. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. raised its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 16.5% during the first 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. 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.

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