Bailard Inc. Acquires 22,600 Shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Bailard Inc. lifted its position in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Free Report) by 109.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 43,288 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 22,600 shares during the period. Bailard Inc.'s holdings in MDU Resources Group were worth $780,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Hennessy Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 1,098.5% during the fourth 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 during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 109.3% in the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 988,008 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $17,804,000 after purchasing an additional 515,878 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 18.6% in the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 2,114,019 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $37,926,000 after purchasing an additional 331,481 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 18.2% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,110,595 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $38,033,000 after purchasing an additional 324,757 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisors Preferred LLC acquired a new stake in MDU Resources Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,691,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.44% of the company's stock.

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MDU Resources Group Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of MDU Resources Group stock traded up $0.09 during trading on Friday, hitting $16.63. The stock had a trading volume of 1,700,810 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,945,871. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $17.51 and a 200 day simple moving average of $21.37. The company has a market capitalization of $3.40 billion, a PE ratio of 12.05, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.81. 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 1 year low of $14.91 and a 1 year high of $30.52.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 earnings per share 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%. On average, research analysts expect 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 will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 13th will be given a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.13%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 13th. MDU Resources Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.68%.

Insider Transactions at MDU Resources Group

In related news, Director Dennis W. Johnson purchased 30,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $16.64 per share, with a total value of $499,200.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 180,166 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,997,962.24. The trade was a 19.98 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have issued reports on MDU. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $18.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com cut MDU Resources Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Thursday, February 20th. One equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target 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.