John G Ullman & Associates Inc. Sells 4,988 Shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

John G Ullman & Associates Inc. trimmed its stake in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 1.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 397,794 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 4,988 shares during the period. MDU Resources Group comprises about 1.1% of John G Ullman & Associates Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest position. John G Ullman & Associates Inc.’s holdings in MDU Resources Group were worth $7,168,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Principal Securities Inc. grew 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 acquiring an additional 914 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its position in MDU Resources Group by 158.9% in the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,196 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 734 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew 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 acquiring an additional 915 shares during the period. Crews Bank & Trust bought a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group during the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group during the third quarter worth $40,000. 71.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at MDU Resources Group

In related news, Director Dennis W. Johnson bought 30,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 purchase, the director now owns 180,166 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,997,962.24. This represents a 19.98 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

MDU Resources Group Price Performance

MDU Resources Group stock opened at $17.25 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $17.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $21.56. The stock has a market cap of $3.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.50, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.80. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $14.91 and a 12-month high of $30.52. 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 posted its quarterly earnings results 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 return on equity of 10.20% and a net margin of 7.31%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 earnings per share for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 13th will be issued a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.01%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 13th. MDU Resources Group’s dividend payout ratio is 37.68%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MDU has been the topic of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com cut MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, February 20th. Bank of America upgraded MDU Resources Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $31.00 to $17.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Siebert Williams Shank upgraded MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, November 4th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on MDU Resources Group in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a “hold” rating and a $18.00 target price on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MDU Resources Group currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $21.00.

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.