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

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) was upgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Monday.

MDU Resources Group Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of MDU stock opened at $16.95 on Monday. MDU Resources Group has a 1 year low of $13.23 and a 1 year high of $20.39. The stock has a market cap of $3.46 billion, a PE ratio of 12.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.72. The business’s fifty day moving average is $16.80 and its 200-day moving average is $17.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.15.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The utilities provider reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.36 by $0.04. MDU Resources Group had a return on equity of 10.20% and a net margin of 7.31%. The company had revenue of $674.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $653.13 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.52 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that MDU Resources Group will post 0.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MDU Resources Group

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of MDU. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 132.0% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 6,999,856 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $126,137,000 after acquiring an additional 3,982,783 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 16.6% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 22,997,452 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $414,414,000 after acquiring an additional 3,276,114 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group during the 4th quarter worth $40,857,000. Hennessy Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 1,098.5% during the 4th quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 2,155,007 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $38,833,000 after acquiring an additional 1,975,200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pertento Partners LLP boosted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 90.3% during the 4th quarter. Pertento Partners LLP now owns 2,990,144 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $53,882,000 after acquiring an additional 1,419,118 shares in the last quarter. 71.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.