Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA Cuts Stock Position in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA trimmed its holdings in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Free Report) by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,119,825 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 31,536 shares during the quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA owned approximately 0.55% of MDU Resources Group worth $30,694,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in MDU Resources Group in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in MDU Resources Group by 158.9% in the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,196 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 734 shares during the period. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in MDU Resources Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its position in MDU Resources Group by 23.9% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,142 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 413 shares during the period. 71.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

Shares of MDU Resources Group stock traded up $0.03 on Tuesday, reaching $20.16. 2,206,200 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,616,835. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $14.91 and a twelve month high of $30.52. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $24.54 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $25.04. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.34, a PEG ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.76.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.01. MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 8.92% and a return on equity of 11.24%. The company had revenue of $1.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $969.17 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.29 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 1.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, December 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.58%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 12th. MDU Resources Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.67%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on MDU. Siebert Williams Shank raised shares of MDU Resources Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $19.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, November 4th. Bank of America upgraded MDU Resources Group from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $31.00 to $17.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on MDU Resources Group in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. They issued a "hold" rating on the stock.

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.