Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd Invests $366,000 in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 20,323 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $366,000.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Principal Securities Inc. boosted its stake in MDU Resources Group by 164.4% in the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,470 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 914 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its position in 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 buying an additional 915 shares in the last quarter. Crews Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $39,000. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Millburn Ridgefield Corp purchased a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group during the third quarter worth about $82,000. Institutional investors own 71.44% of the company's stock.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

NYSE MDU traded down $0.03 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $16.79. The stock had a trading volume of 1,496,372 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,928,343. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $14.91 and a 52-week high of $30.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.15. The stock has a market cap of $3.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.81. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $17.21 and a 200 day moving average of $20.57.

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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 for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 predict that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 earnings per share for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 13th will be issued a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 13th. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.10%. MDU Resources Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.68%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group initiated 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 objective for the company. 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 investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $21.00.

Insider Transactions at MDU Resources Group

In related news, Director Dennis W. Johnson purchased 30,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $16.64 per share, with a total value of $499,200.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

About MDU Resources Group

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.