MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) Shares Purchased by Teacher Retirement System of Texas

Teacher Retirement System of Texas raised its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 42.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 90,870 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 26,896 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas’ holdings in MDU Resources Group were worth $1,637,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MDU. Principal Securities Inc. grew its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 164.4% during the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,470 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 914 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 99.6% during 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 acquired a new position in MDU Resources Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in MDU Resources Group by 19.4% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,505 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $63,000 after buying an additional 570 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millburn Ridgefield Corp acquired a new stake in MDU Resources Group in the third quarter worth $82,000. 71.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other MDU Resources Group news, Director Dennis W. Johnson bought 30,000 shares of MDU Resources Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $16.64 per share, for a total transaction of $499,200.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 180,166 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,997,962.24. This represents a 19.98 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on MDU. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a “hold” rating and a $18.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com cut shares of MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. One 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 MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $21.00.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

MDU stock opened at $16.68 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.09, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $17.15 and a 200 day simple moving average of $20.52. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $12.99 and a fifty-two week high of $20.39.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.03. MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 7.31% and a return on equity of 10.20%. Sell-side analysts predict that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 earnings per share 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 paid a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.12%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 13th. MDU Resources Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.68%.

MDU Resources Group Profile

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.