MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) Upgraded at Siebert Williams Shank

Siebert Williams Shank upgraded shares of MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Monday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Siebert Williams Shank currently has $19.00 target price on the utilities provider’s stock.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on MDU. StockNews.com initiated coverage on MDU Resources Group in a report on Monday, October 28th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and set a $31.00 target price (up from $30.00) on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research report on Monday, October 21st.

MDU Resources Group Stock Up 3.0 %

Shares of NYSE MDU opened at $16.95 on Monday. MDU Resources Group has a 1 year low of $14.91 and a 1 year high of $30.52. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $26.48 and its 200-day moving average is $25.65. The company has a current ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.46 billion, a PE ratio of 8.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.76.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The utilities provider reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.21 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $1.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.06 billion. MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 9.25% and a return on equity of 11.29%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.29 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that MDU Resources Group will post 1.57 EPS for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 21st were issued a dividend of $12.875 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 1st. MDU Resources Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MDU Resources Group

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MDU. Private Advisor Group LLC raised its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 17.7% during the 1st quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 62,422 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,573,000 after buying an additional 9,397 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in MDU Resources Group by 59.7% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 170,892 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $4,306,000 after purchasing an additional 63,881 shares during the period. GSA Capital Partners LLP increased its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 36.4% during the 1st quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 50,388 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,270,000 after purchasing an additional 13,448 shares in the last quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp raised its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp now owns 176,622 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $4,451,000 after purchasing an additional 708 shares during the period. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP lifted its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 47.4% in the first quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 58,372 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,471,000 after purchasing an additional 18,758 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.44% of the company’s stock.

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.