MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) Shares Purchased by California Public Employees Retirement System

California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its stake in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Free Report) by 8.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 402,451 shares of the utilities provider's stock after buying an additional 31,436 shares during the quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System owned approximately 0.20% of MDU Resources Group worth $7,252,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Principal Securities Inc. lifted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 164.4% in the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,470 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 914 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its stake in MDU Resources Group by 99.6% in the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 1,834 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 915 shares in the last quarter. Crews Bank & Trust purchased a new position in MDU Resources Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 19.4% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,505 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $63,000 after purchasing an additional 570 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $77,000. 71.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Activity

In other news, Director Dennis W. Johnson acquired 30,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was 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. This represents a 19.98 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MDU has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on MDU Resources Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a "hold" rating and a $18.00 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of MDU Resources Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, MDU Resources Group currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $21.00.

MDU Resources Group Trading Up 2.1 %

MDU traded up $0.34 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $16.49. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,545,767 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,522,080. The business's 50-day moving average is $16.72 and its 200-day moving average is $19.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 1.07. The stock has a market cap of $3.37 billion, a PE ratio of 11.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.68. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $12.99 and a fifty-two week high of $20.39.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.03. MDU Resources Group had a return on equity of 10.20% and a net margin of 7.31%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 13th were given a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.15%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 13th. MDU Resources Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 37.68%.

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.