Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA Has $18.69 Million Stock Holdings in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA decreased its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 7.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,036,899 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 82,926 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA owned 0.51% of MDU Resources Group worth $18,685,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MDU. Friedenthal Financial bought a new position in MDU Resources Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $778,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 42.2% during the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 115,907 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,089,000 after acquiring an additional 34,409 shares during the last quarter. Cascade Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 21.3% during the fourth quarter. Cascade Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 81,626 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,471,000 after acquiring an additional 14,360 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 32.3% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 855,493 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $23,449,000 after acquiring an additional 209,042 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisors Preferred LLC acquired a new stake in MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter worth about $5,691,000. Institutional investors own 71.44% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at MDU Resources Group

In other MDU Resources Group news, Director Dennis W. Johnson purchased 30,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 180,166 shares in the company, valued at $2,997,962.24. This trade represents a 19.98 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

MDU Resources Group Price Performance

MDU Resources Group stock opened at $16.04 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.62, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.68. The business has a 50-day moving average of $16.96 and a 200-day moving average of $20.05. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $12.99 and a 1 year high of $20.39.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.03. MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 7.31% and a return on equity of 10.20%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 EPS for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 13th were issued a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 13th. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.24%. MDU Resources Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.68%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $18.00 price objective on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average 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.