MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) Rating Increased to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Free Report) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday.

MDU Resources Group Trading Up 1.0%

NYSE MDU traded up $0.17 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $17.41. The company had a trading volume of 1,424,443 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,469,983. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $16.82 and a 200 day moving average of $17.71. MDU Resources Group has a 1-year low of $13.23 and a 1-year high of $20.39. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.72.

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

MDU Resources Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 12th will be given a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.99%. MDU Resources Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 40.31%.

Institutional Trading of MDU Resources Group

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Principal Securities Inc. lifted its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 164.4% during the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,470 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 914 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 179.0% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,518 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 974 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 99.6% during the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 1,834 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 915 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group during the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.