Wells Fargo & Company MN Lowers Holdings in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Wells Fargo & Company MN cut its position in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU - Free Report) by 18.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 160,355 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 35,846 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN owned about 0.08% of MDU Resources Group worth $2,890,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Principal Securities Inc. increased its stake 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 buying an additional 914 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its position in 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 valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 915 shares during the period. Crews Bank & Trust bought a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 84.4% in the 4th quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 2,487 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 1,138 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake 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 in the last quarter. 71.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

Shares of MDU stock opened at $16.86 on Thursday. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $16.69 and its 200-day simple moving average is $19.07. The company has a market cap of $3.45 billion, a PE ratio of 12.22, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $13.23 and a 12-month high of $20.39.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 EPS 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%. Analysts expect that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

MDU has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on MDU Resources Group in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a "hold" rating and a $18.00 target price for the company. StockNews.com cut MDU Resources Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. One 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 data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $21.00.

Insider Transactions at MDU Resources Group

In other news, Director Dennis W. Johnson bought 30,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $16.64 per share, with a total value of $499,200.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 180,166 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,997,962.24. The trade was a 19.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.94% 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.

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