MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) Shares Acquired by Natixis

Natixis lifted its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Free Report) by 15,984.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 260,089 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 258,472 shares during the period. Natixis owned about 0.13% of MDU Resources Group worth $4,687,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MDU. Principal Securities Inc. raised its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 164.4% during the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,470 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 914 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 99.6% during the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 1,834 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 915 shares during the period. Crews Bank & Trust purchased a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 84.4% during the 4th quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 2,487 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 1,138 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 19.4% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,505 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $63,000 after purchasing an additional 570 shares during the last quarter. 71.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other MDU Resources Group news, Director Dennis W. Johnson acquired 30,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of $16.64 per share, with a total value of $499,200.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 180,166 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,997,962.24. The trade was a 19.98 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.94% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of MDU Resources Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Thursday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $18.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $21.00.

MDU Resources Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MDU traded down $0.17 during trading on Friday, hitting $16.89. 735,519 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,491,594. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $13.23 and a 52-week high of $20.39. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $16.69 and its 200 day simple moving average is $19.00. 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 company has a market cap of $3.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.24, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.68.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 analysts predict that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 EPS for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 13th were given a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.08%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 13th. MDU Resources Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 37.68%.

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.