MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) Sets New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

Shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $21.38 and last traded at $21.31, with a volume of 2535403 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $21.10.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on MDU shares. Zacks Research cut MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Cowen began coverage on MDU Resources Group in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $20.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $21.00.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $4.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.20, a P/E/G ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.74. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $18.22 and its 200 day simple moving average is $17.31.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.07 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $315.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $263.93 million. MDU Resources Group had a return on equity of 8.29% and a net margin of 8.25%.MDU Resources Group’s revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.32 earnings per share. MDU Resources Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 0.900-0.950 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 earnings per share for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 11th were paid a $0.14 dividend. This is a boost from MDU Resources Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 11th. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. MDU Resources Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 67.47%.

Insider Activity

In other MDU Resources Group news, CFO Jason L. Vollmer bought 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 8th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $16.07 per share, for a total transaction of $80,350.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 344,548 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,536,886.36. This represents a 1.47% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.94% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group in the second quarter worth about $1,646,000. Cascade Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in MDU Resources Group by 19.0% during the 2nd quarter. Cascade Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 99,381 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,657,000 after acquiring an additional 15,900 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 103.1% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,343,979 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $22,727,000 after purchasing an additional 682,098 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 230.6% during the second quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 7,660 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $128,000 after purchasing an additional 5,343 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 182.0% in the first quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 143,467 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,426,000 after purchasing an additional 92,587 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.44% of the company’s stock.

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.