Wells Fargo & Company MN Trims Stake in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Wells Fargo & Company MN lessened its holdings in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Free Report) by 18.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 160,355 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 35,846 shares during the quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN owned 0.08% of MDU Resources Group worth $2,890,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Riverwater Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Riverwater Partners LLC now owns 50,714 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $914,000 after acquiring an additional 1,151 shares during the period. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $496,000. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 84.4% during the 4th quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 2,487 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 1,138 shares in the last quarter. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $2,117,000. Finally, Trexquant Investment LP boosted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 809.3% in the 4th quarter. Trexquant Investment LP now owns 243,843 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $4,394,000 after purchasing an additional 217,026 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.44% of the company's stock.

MDU Resources Group Stock Up 1.3 %

MDU Resources Group stock traded up $0.22 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $17.20. The stock had a trading volume of 1,162,792 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,488,835. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.68. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $13.23 and a 12-month high of $20.39. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $16.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $18.70.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. Equities research analysts anticipate that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 13th were paid a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 13th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.02%. MDU Resources Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 37.68%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MDU. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $18.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of MDU Resources Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MDU Resources Group presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $21.00.

Insider Transactions at MDU Resources Group

In other MDU Resources Group news, Director Dennis W. Johnson bought 30,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was 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 owns 180,166 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,997,962.24. This represents a 19.98 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.94% of the company's stock.

MDU Resources Group Profile

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.