MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) Shares Sold by SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC

SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC trimmed its holdings in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 29.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 18,707 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 7,982 shares during the period. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in MDU Resources Group were worth $471,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MDU. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group during the third quarter worth about $513,000. Gotham Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in MDU Resources Group during the third quarter valued at $2,168,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in MDU Resources Group by 194.3% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,397,095 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $27,355,000 after purchasing an additional 922,403 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 12.3% during the third quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 82,141 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,608,000 after purchasing an additional 8,994 shares during the period. Finally, Adalta Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 61.5% in the 3rd quarter. Adalta Capital Management LLC now owns 16,150 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $318,000 after buying an additional 6,150 shares during the last quarter. 71.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MDU has been the topic of several research reports. StockNews.com upgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 27th. Argus raised MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $30.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, May 20th.

MDU Resources Group Stock Up 0.8 %

MDU Resources Group stock opened at $24.79 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a current ratio of 1.43. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a one year low of $18.04 and a one year high of $25.99. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $25.06 and a 200-day simple moving average of $22.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.59, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.77.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The utilities provider reported $0.52 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.47 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.33 billion. MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 10.74% and a return on equity of 11.42%. MDU Resources Group’s quarterly revenue was down 15.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.23 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 1.55 earnings per share for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 13th were paid a dividend of $0.125 per share. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.02%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 13th. MDU Resources Group’s payout ratio is currently 21.37%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other MDU Resources Group news, insider Rob L. Johnson purchased 36,291 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 7th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $25.46 per share, with a total value of $923,968.86. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now owns 41,934 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,067,639.64. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.59% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.