MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) Hits New 52-Week High at $27.30

Shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $27.30 and last traded at $27.30, with a volume of 577734 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $25.58.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on MDU shares. Argus upgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $30.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, May 20th. StockNews.com cut MDU Resources Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, July 26th.

MDU Resources Group Stock Up 7.1 %

The stock has a fifty day moving average of $25.45 and a 200-day moving average of $24.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.71, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a current ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The utilities provider reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.11. MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 9.25% and a return on equity of 11.29%. The company had revenue of $1.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.06 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.29 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 1.55 EPS for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 12th will be given a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.90%. This is a positive change from MDU Resources Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 12th. MDU Resources Group's dividend payout ratio is 21.37%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MDU Resources Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in MDU Resources Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. TFO Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 16,070.0% during the 4th quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,617 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 1,607 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 413 shares in the last quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp boosted its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 22.2% in the first quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 4,404 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $111,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mendota Financial Group LLC increased its position in MDU Resources Group by 32.9% during the first quarter. Mendota Financial Group LLC now owns 5,920 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $149,000 after buying an additional 1,465 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.44% of the company's stock.

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.