MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) Earns Hold Rating from Analysts at StockNews.com

Equities researchers at StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday. The firm set a "hold" rating on the utilities provider's stock.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. 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 report on Monday, November 4th. Bank of America upgraded MDU Resources Group from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and cut their price objective for the company from $31.00 to $17.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 5th.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MDU traded down $0.93 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $17.62. The stock had a trading volume of 2,036,889 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,622,604. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $22.18 and its 200 day simple moving average is $24.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.04, a PEG ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.15. MDU Resources Group 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 issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $969.17 million. MDU Resources Group had a return on equity of 11.24% and a net margin of 8.92%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.29 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that MDU Resources Group will post 1.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MDU Resources Group

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group during the third quarter valued at $25,000. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in MDU Resources Group during the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 734 shares during the period. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group in the third quarter worth approximately $40,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 23.9% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,142 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 413 shares during the period. 71.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.