Commonwealth Equity Services LLC Increases Stake in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC increased its holdings in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 2.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 139,789 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,815 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC owned 0.07% of MDU Resources Group worth $4,260,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group in the first quarter worth about $124,000. American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in MDU Resources Group by 21.3% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 20,101 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $536,000 after purchasing an additional 3,523 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. lifted its position in MDU Resources Group by 119.7% in the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 67,933 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,811,000 after purchasing an additional 37,018 shares during the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund bought a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group in the first quarter worth approximately $771,000. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 33.4% in the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 131,476 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $3,504,000 after buying an additional 32,930 shares during the period. 71.24% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

Shares of MDU stock opened at $20.48 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.62, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.76. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $21.12 and a 200 day moving average of $25.70. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $18.47 and a 52 week high of $22.55. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 3rd. The utilities provider reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter. MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 6.51% and a return on equity of 11.50%. The firm had revenue of $1.09 billion during the quarter. As a group, research analysts expect that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 1.36 earnings per share for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.125 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 13th. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.44%. MDU Resources Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.78%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MDU has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Bank of America raised shares of MDU Resources Group from an “underperform” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, June 1st. StockNews.com initiated coverage on MDU Resources Group in a report on Thursday, August 17th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock.

About MDU Resources Group

MDU Resources Group, Inc engages in the regulated energy delivery, and construction materials and services businesses in the United States. It operates through five segments: Electric, Natural Gas Distribution, Pipeline, Construction Materials and Contracting, 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 84 transmission and 294 distribution substations.