MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) Holdings Decreased by Franklin Resources Inc.

Franklin Resources Inc. trimmed its position in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Free Report) by 23.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 719,760 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 218,711 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. owned 0.35% of MDU Resources Group worth $12,970,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MDU. Principal Securities Inc. raised its holdings 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 buying an additional 914 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its stake in shares of 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 valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 915 shares during the period. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group during the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in 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 period. Finally, Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new stake in MDU Resources Group in the 4th quarter valued at $77,000. 71.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at MDU Resources Group

In other 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 cost 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 approximately $2,997,962.24. The trade was a 19.98 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on MDU. StockNews.com cut MDU Resources Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on MDU Resources Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a "hold" rating and a $18.00 price target on the stock. 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. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $21.00.

MDU Resources Group Stock Up 2.1 %

NYSE:MDU traded up $0.34 on Friday, reaching $16.49. The stock had a trading volume of 1,545,767 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,522,080. The company has a 50-day moving average of $16.72 and a 200 day moving average of $19.60. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The stock has a market cap of $3.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.68. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $12.99 and a 12-month high of $20.39.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.03. MDU Resources Group had a return on equity of 10.20% and a net margin of 7.31%. On average, research analysts predict 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. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 13th were paid a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 13th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.15%. MDU Resources Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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.