BNP Paribas Financial Markets Boosts Position in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 155.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 107,011 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 65,161 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets owned about 0.05% of MDU Resources Group worth $2,119,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 50.1% in the third quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 2,265 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 756 shares in the last quarter. Planned Solutions Inc. acquired a new stake in MDU Resources Group during the 4th quarter valued at $66,000. Tompkins Financial Corp increased its position in MDU Resources Group by 89.7% during the fourth quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp now owns 3,604 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $71,000 after buying an additional 1,704 shares in the last quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter worth $178,000. Finally, Neo Ivy Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the third quarter valued at $182,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.44% of the company’s stock.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

MDU Resources Group stock opened at $25.22 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $24.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $21.56. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $18.04 and a 52 week high of $25.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.78, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The utilities provider reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.47 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.33 billion. MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 10.74% and a return on equity of 11.42%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 15.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.23 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 1.55 earnings per share for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, June 13th will be issued a $0.125 dividend. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.98%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 13th. MDU Resources Group’s payout ratio is currently 21.37%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MDU Resources Group

In other news, insider Rob L. Johnson acquired 36,291 shares of MDU Resources Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 7th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $25.46 per share, with a total value of $923,968.86. Following the purchase, the insider now directly owns 41,934 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,067,639.64. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on MDU shares. Argus upgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $30.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, May 20th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 3rd.

MDU Resources Group 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.