Natixis Buys 258,472 Shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Natixis raised its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Free Report) by 15,984.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 260,089 shares of the utilities provider's stock after acquiring an additional 258,472 shares during the quarter. Natixis owned about 0.13% of MDU Resources Group worth $4,687,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Principal Securities Inc. grew its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 164.4% during the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,470 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 914 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its position in MDU Resources Group by 99.6% in the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 1,834 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 915 shares in the last quarter. Crews Bank & Trust purchased a new position in MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. grew its position in MDU Resources Group by 84.4% in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in MDU Resources Group by 19.4% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,505 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $63,000 after acquiring an additional 570 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.44% of the company's stock.

MDU Resources Group Trading Down 1.0 %

NYSE MDU traded down $0.17 during trading on Friday, hitting $16.89. 735,519 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,500,233. The firm has a market cap of $3.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.24, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.68. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $16.69 and a two-hundred day moving average of $18.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 1.07. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $13.23 and a 12-month high of $20.39.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.03. MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 7.31% and a return on equity of 10.20%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 EPS for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 13th were paid a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.08%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 13th. MDU Resources Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.68%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Dennis W. Johnson purchased 30,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $16.64 per share, for a total transaction of $499,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 180,166 shares of the company's stock, valued at $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 can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.94% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of MDU Resources Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated 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 investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price 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.