Nuveen Asset Management LLC Buys 221,275 Shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Nuveen Asset Management LLC raised its stake in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 41.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 761,393 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 221,275 shares during the quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC owned 0.37% of MDU Resources Group worth $13,720,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Principal Securities Inc. lifted its position in MDU Resources Group by 164.4% in the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,470 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 914 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its position in MDU Resources Group by 99.6% in the fourth quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 1,834 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 915 shares during the last quarter. Crews Bank & Trust bought a new stake in MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its position in MDU Resources Group by 84.4% in the fourth quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 2,487 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 1,138 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Institutional investors own 71.44% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded MDU Resources Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 12th.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

Shares of MDU stock opened at $17.06 on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $16.87 and a 200 day moving average of $17.58. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $13.23 and a 52 week high of $20.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.36, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The utilities provider reported $0.40 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.04. MDU Resources Group had a return on equity of 10.20% and a net margin of 7.31%. The company had revenue of $674.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $653.13 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.52 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 14.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 earnings per share for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, June 12th will be paid a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.05%. MDU Resources Group’s payout ratio is 40.31%.

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 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.