MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) Stock Holdings Lessened by American Century Companies Inc.

American Century Companies Inc. lessened its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 16.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,320,762 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 822,186 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc.’s holdings in MDU Resources Group were worth $77,860,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Hennessy Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 1,098.5% during the fourth quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 2,155,007 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $38,833,000 after purchasing an additional 1,975,200 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 109.3% during the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 988,008 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $17,804,000 after buying an additional 515,878 shares during the period. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. lifted its stake in MDU Resources Group by 40.9% during the fourth quarter. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. now owns 1,334,820 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $24,053,000 after buying an additional 387,173 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 18.6% in the fourth quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 2,114,019 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $37,926,000 after buying an additional 331,481 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 18.2% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,110,595 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $38,033,000 after acquiring an additional 324,757 shares in the last quarter. 71.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on MDU shares. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $18.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com lowered MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, February 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MDU Resources Group has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $21.00.

MDU Resources Group Stock Up 1.8 %

Shares of MDU stock opened at $17.07 on Tuesday. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $12.74 and a 12 month high of $20.39. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The firm has a market cap of $3.49 billion, a PE ratio of 12.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.81. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $17.23 and a 200-day moving average of $20.62.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. On average, equities analysts predict that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 EPS for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 13th will be paid a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 13th. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.05%. MDU Resources Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.68%.

Insider Transactions at MDU Resources Group

In other news, Director Dennis W. Johnson acquired 30,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was bought at an average price of $16.64 per share, with a total value of $499,200.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 180,166 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,997,962.24. This represents a 19.98 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.