Advisors Preferred LLC Purchases Shares of 317,251 MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Advisors Preferred LLC purchased a new position in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 317,251 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $5,691,000. MDU Resources Group accounts for about 0.9% of Advisors Preferred LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest holding.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group during the third quarter worth $25,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 158.9% during the 3rd quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,196 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 734 shares during the last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in MDU Resources Group by 23.9% during 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Crews Bank & Trust purchased a new position in MDU Resources Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.44% of the company’s stock.

MDU Resources Group Trading Down 2.2 %

Shares of MDU Resources Group stock opened at $16.57 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $18.33 and its two-hundred day moving average is $22.61. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $14.91 and a 1 year high of $30.52. 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 has a market capitalization of $3.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.00, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.80.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.03. MDU Resources Group had a return on equity of 10.20% and a net margin of 7.31%. Analysts forecast that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.95 earnings per share for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 12th were given a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 12th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.14%. MDU Resources Group’s payout ratio is 37.68%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on MDU shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on MDU Resources Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a “hold” rating and a $18.00 price target for the company. Siebert Williams Shank upgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Finally, Bank of America upgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $31.00 to $17.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target 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.