Loomis Sayles & Co. L P Purchases 143,442 Shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Loomis Sayles & Co. L P raised its position in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 27.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 672,323 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 143,442 shares during the period. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P owned about 0.33% of MDU Resources Group worth $12,115,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of MDU. Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 19.4% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,505 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $63,000 after purchasing an additional 570 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 32,739 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $896,000 after buying an additional 641 shares during the period. Ingalls & Snyder LLC raised its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Ingalls & Snyder LLC now owns 39,335 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,078,000 after buying an additional 850 shares in the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. lifted its holdings 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 worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 914 shares during the period. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC boosted its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 99.6% during the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 1,834 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 915 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.44% of the company’s stock.

MDU Resources Group Price Performance

NYSE:MDU opened at $16.67 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $3.41 billion, a PE ratio of 12.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.81. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $17.11 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $20.46. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $12.99 and a 12 month high of $20.39.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.03. MDU Resources Group had a return on equity of 10.20% and a net margin of 7.31%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 13th. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.12%. MDU Resources Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.68%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Dennis W. Johnson bought 30,000 shares of MDU Resources Group stock in a transaction dated 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 owns 180,166 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,997,962.24. This trade represents a 19.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have commented on MDU. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a “hold” rating and a $18.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com downgraded 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 issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $21.00.

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.