Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY Purchases 28,585 Shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY boosted its stake in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Free Report) by 124.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 51,601 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 28,585 shares during the period. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY's holdings in MDU Resources Group were worth $930,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in MDU Resources Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 158.9% during the 3rd 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 acquired a new stake in MDU Resources Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $40,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings 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 worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 413 shares during the period. Finally, Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in MDU Resources Group during the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. 71.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at MDU Resources Group

In other MDU Resources Group news, Director Dennis W. Johnson purchased 30,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $16.64 per share, with a total value of $499,200.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 180,166 shares in the company, valued at $2,997,962.24. The trade was a 19.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on MDU shares. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on MDU Resources Group in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a "hold" rating and a $18.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com downgraded MDU Resources Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Bank of America upgraded MDU Resources Group from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and reduced their target price for the company from $31.00 to $17.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Siebert Williams Shank upgraded MDU Resources Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $19.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, November 4th. One 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 data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $21.00.

MDU Resources Group Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of MDU traded up $0.07 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $16.90. The stock had a trading volume of 1,382,847 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,088,036. 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 firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $18.07 and a 200-day simple moving average of $22.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.80. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 predict that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 13th will be given a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.08%. MDU Resources Group's payout ratio is 37.68%.

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.