Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC Increases Stake in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 300.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 691,993 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 519,029 shares during the period. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.34% of MDU Resources Group worth $12,470,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Friedenthal Financial purchased a new position in MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter valued at $778,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 42.2% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 115,907 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $2,089,000 after buying an additional 34,409 shares during the period. Cascade Investment Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 21.3% during the fourth quarter. Cascade Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 81,626 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,471,000 after buying an additional 14,360 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 32.3% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 855,493 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $23,449,000 after buying an additional 209,042 shares during the period. Finally, Advisors Preferred LLC acquired a new stake in MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,691,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.44% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at MDU Resources Group

In related news, Director Dennis W. Johnson purchased 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The shares were purchased 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 directly owns 180,166 shares in the company, valued at $2,997,962.24. This represents a 19.98 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MDU has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $18.00 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, February 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $21.00.

MDU Resources Group Trading Up 1.4 %

Shares of MDU Resources Group stock opened at $16.89 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $17.08 and a 200-day simple moving average of $20.33. The stock has a market cap of $3.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.24, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.81. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $12.99 and a 12-month high of $20.39.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 forecast that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 13th will be issued a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 13th. MDU Resources Group’s payout ratio is currently 37.68%.

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.