MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) Shares Sold by Hennessy Advisors Inc.

Hennessy Advisors Inc. reduced its position in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 4.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 177,607 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 8,000 shares during the period. Hennessy Advisors Inc. owned 0.09% of MDU Resources Group worth $4,476,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MDU. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC increased its stake in MDU Resources Group by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 33,779 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $669,000 after buying an additional 557 shares during the period. CWM LLC increased its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 26,454 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $524,000 after acquiring an additional 747 shares during the period. Retirement Systems of Alabama raised its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 255,047 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $5,050,000 after purchasing an additional 784 shares in the last quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp lifted its position in MDU Resources Group by 22.2% in the first quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 4,404 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $111,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares during the period. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina boosted its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 89,606 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,774,000 after purchasing an additional 870 shares in the last quarter. 71.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MDU Resources Group Price Performance

MDU traded down $0.12 on Thursday, hitting $25.03. 2,364,508 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,257,121. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $18.04 and a fifty-two week high of $25.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a current ratio of 1.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.77. The business’s fifty day moving average is $25.03 and its 200 day moving average is $22.58.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The utilities provider reported $0.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.47 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.33 billion. MDU Resources Group had a return on equity of 11.42% and a net margin of 10.74%. The company’s revenue was down 15.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.23 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 1.55 EPS for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.125 per share. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.00%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 13th. MDU Resources Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.37%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MDU has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Argus raised MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $30.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, May 20th. StockNews.com raised MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, May 27th.

Insider Transactions at MDU Resources Group

In other MDU Resources Group news, insider Rob L. Johnson acquired 36,291 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 7th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $25.46 per share, with a total value of $923,968.86. Following the purchase, the insider now owns 41,934 shares in the company, valued at $1,067,639.64. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

MDU Resources Group Company 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.