MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) Hits New 12-Month High – Here’s What Happened

Shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $22.98 and last traded at $22.7850, with a volume of 2229662 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $22.49.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on MDU shares. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of MDU Resources Group in a report on Thursday, January 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on MDU Resources Group in a report on Thursday, April 16th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $22.00 target price on the stock. Loop Capital set a $21.00 target price on MDU Resources Group in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research note on Friday, April 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, MDU Resources Group currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $21.25.

MDU Resources Group Trading Down 1.0%

The firm’s 50-day moving average is $21.43 and its 200 day moving average is $20.64. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.53, a P/E/G ratio of 4.20 and a beta of 0.70.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.39 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.42 by ($0.03). MDU Resources Group had a return on equity of 6.82% and a net margin of 10.47%.The business had revenue of $605.98 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $688.34 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.40 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. MDU Resources Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.930-1.000 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, June 11th will be issued a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 11th. MDU Resources Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 60.87%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Charles M. Kelley acquired 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $20.84 per share, for a total transaction of $104,200.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 8,031 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $167,366.04. This trade represents a 164.96% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of MDU Resources Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. GoalVest Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 6,404.3% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,496 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 1,473 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 94.5% in the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,647 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 800 shares during the period. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 13,185.7% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,860 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 1,846 shares during the period. 71.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About MDU Resources Group

MDU Resources Group, Inc is a diversified energy and services holding company headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota. The company operates through two primary segments: Utilities and Construction Services and Pipelines & Midstream. Serving a broad geographic footprint across the upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest, MDU provides essential energy distribution and infrastructure services to residential, commercial and industrial customers.

The Utilities segment delivers electric and natural gas distribution services in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, Wisconsin, Michigan and Washington.