MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) Shares Purchased by Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC

Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Free Report) by 300.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 691,993 shares of the utilities provider's stock after acquiring an additional 519,029 shares during the period. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC owned about 0.34% of MDU Resources Group worth $12,470,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MDU. Principal Securities Inc. raised its position 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 purchasing an additional 914 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 99.6% during the fourth 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 during the last quarter. Crews Bank & Trust purchased a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Blue Trust Inc. boosted 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 worth $63,000 after acquiring an additional 570 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $77,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.44% of the company's stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on MDU Resources Group in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $18.00 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. One research 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's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $21.00.

MDU Resources Group Trading Down 4.5 %

NYSE:MDU traded down $0.76 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $16.04. The company had a trading volume of 2,629,817 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,522,088. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $12.99 and a 1 year high of $20.39. The company has a market cap of $3.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a 50-day moving average of $16.96 and a 200 day moving average of $20.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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%. Sell-side analysts expect that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 earnings per share for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 13th were issued a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 13th. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.24%. MDU Resources Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 37.68%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MDU Resources Group

In related news, Director Dennis W. Johnson purchased 30,000 shares of MDU Resources Group 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 purchase, the director now owns 180,166 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,997,962.24. The trade was a 19.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.