Victory Capital Management Inc. Sells 415,410 Shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Victory Capital Management Inc. trimmed its position in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Free Report) by 73.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 151,289 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 415,410 shares during the quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. owned 0.07% of MDU Resources Group worth $2,726,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in MDU Resources Group by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,179,357 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $39,272,000 after purchasing an additional 96,889 shares during the last quarter. Unified Investment Management bought a new position in MDU Resources Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $371,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 39.9% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 89,116 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $1,606,000 after buying an additional 25,423 shares during the period. Bailard Inc. boosted its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 109.2% during the 4th quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 43,288 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $780,000 after purchasing an additional 22,600 shares in the last quarter. Finally, US Bancorp DE grew its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,730,962 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $31,192,000 after buying an additional 57,265 shares during the period. 71.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MDU Resources Group news, Director Dennis W. Johnson purchased 30,000 shares of MDU Resources Group stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $16.64 per share, for a total transaction of $499,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 180,166 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,997,962.24. The trade was a 19.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.59% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MDU has been the topic of several recent research reports. StockNews.com lowered MDU Resources Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Thursday, February 20th. 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 on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MDU Resources Group currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $21.00.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

NYSE MDU traded down $0.08 during trading on Thursday, hitting $17.06. 797,884 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,384,543. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.38, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.81. 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 business has a 50 day moving average of $17.28 and a 200-day moving average of $20.83. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $12.43 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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 13th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.05%. MDU Resources Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.68%.

MDU Resources Group 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.