180,041 Shares in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) Acquired by Exchange Traded Concepts LLC

Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 180,041 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $3,244,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC owned about 0.09% of MDU Resources Group at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 158.9% during the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,196 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 734 shares during the period. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in MDU Resources Group in the third quarter worth about $40,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 23.9% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,142 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 413 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 238.1% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,935 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $74,000 after buying an additional 2,067 shares in the last quarter. 71.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

MDU Resources Group Price Performance

MDU stock opened at $18.09 on Friday. 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 company’s fifty day moving average price is $18.66 and its 200-day moving average price is $23.09. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a one year low of $14.91 and a one year high of $30.52. The company has a market capitalization of $3.69 billion, a PE ratio of 9.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.81.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $969.17 million. MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 8.92% and a return on equity of 11.24%. The business’s revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.29 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 1.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 12th were paid a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 12th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.87%. MDU Resources Group’s payout ratio is currently 26.67%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on MDU. Siebert Williams Shank raised shares of MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, November 4th. Bank of America upgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $31.00 to $17.00 in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group in a report on Friday, January 3rd. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on MDU Resources Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $18.00 price target for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, MDU Resources Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $21.00.

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.