MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU – Get Free Report) and Clean Energy Fuels (NASDAQ:CLNE – Get Free Report) are both utilities companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, profitability, risk and dividends.
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares MDU Resources Group and Clean Energy Fuels”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| MDU Resources Group | $1.76 billion | 1.88 | $281.11 million | $1.06 | 15.30 |
| Clean Energy Fuels | $415.86 million | 1.28 | -$83.07 million | ($0.90) | -2.70 |
Insider & Institutional Ownership
71.4% of MDU Resources Group shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 49.9% of Clean Energy Fuels shares are held by institutional investors. 0.9% of MDU Resources Group shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 4.3% of Clean Energy Fuels shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.
Profitability
This table compares MDU Resources Group and Clean Energy Fuels’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| MDU Resources Group | 8.25% | 8.29% | 3.20% |
| Clean Energy Fuels | -48.40% | -27.98% | -15.71% |
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for MDU Resources Group and Clean Energy Fuels, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| MDU Resources Group | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2.67 |
| Clean Energy Fuels | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3.00 |
MDU Resources Group presently has a consensus target price of $18.00, indicating a potential upside of 11.01%. Clean Energy Fuels has a consensus target price of $3.59, indicating a potential upside of 47.74%. Given Clean Energy Fuels’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Clean Energy Fuels is more favorable than MDU Resources Group.
Risk and Volatility
MDU Resources Group has a beta of 0.73, suggesting that its stock price is 27% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Clean Energy Fuels has a beta of 2.65, suggesting that its stock price is 165% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
MDU Resources Group beats Clean Energy Fuels on 9 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
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. The Natural Gas Distribution segment distributes natural gas for residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming; and supplies related value-added services. The Pipeline segment provides natural gas transportation and underground storage services through a regulated pipeline system primarily in the Rocky Mountain and northern Great Plains regions; and cathodic protection and other energy-related services. The Construction Services segment offers electrical and mechanical contracting services, including the construction and maintenance of electrical and communication wiring and infrastructure, fire suppression systems, mechanical piping, and services; transmission and distribution contracting services, comprise construction and maintenance of overhead and underground electrical, and gas and communication infrastructure; and manufactures and supplies transmission and distribution lines construction equipment and tools. It serves manufacturing, commercial, industrial, transportation, institutional, and renewable and government customers, as well as utilities. MDU Resources Group, Inc. was incorporated in 1924 and is headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota.
About Clean Energy Fuels
Clean Energy Fuels Corp. provides natural gas as alternative fuels for vehicle fleets and related fueling solutions in the United States and Canada. It supplies renewable natural gas (RNG), compressed natural gas (CNG), and liquefied natural gas (LNG) for medium and heavy-duty vehicles; and offers operation and maintenance services for public and private vehicle fleet customer stations. The company also designs, builds, operates, and maintains vehicle fueling stations; and sells and services compressors and other equipment that are used in RNG production and fueling stations. In addition, it transports and sells CNG, RNG, and LNG through virtual natural gas pipelines and interconnects; sells U.S. federal, state, and local government credits, such as RNG as a vehicle fuel, including Renewable Identification Numbers and Low Carbon Fuel Standards credits; and obtains federal, state, and local credits, grants, and incentives. Further, the company focuses on developing, owning, and operating dairy and other livestock waste RNG projects. It serves heavy-duty trucking, airports, refuse, public transit, industrial, and institutional energy users, as well as government fleets. Clean Energy Fuels Corp. was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in Newport Beach, California.
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