Oxford Asset Management LLP Invests $233,000 in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Oxford Asset Management LLP acquired a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 11,756 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $233,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank bought a new stake in MDU Resources Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,971,000. FMR LLC raised its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 48.7% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,585,707 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $70,208,000 after buying an additional 1,174,799 shares in the last quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in MDU Resources Group by 49.6% during the fourth quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC now owns 2,931,590 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $58,045,000 after buying an additional 972,540 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in MDU Resources Group by 194.3% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,397,095 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,355,000 after acquiring an additional 922,403 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 16.1% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 6,181,092 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $122,386,000 after acquiring an additional 858,100 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.44% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at MDU Resources Group

In related news, insider Rob L. Johnson bought 36,291 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 7th. The stock was bought at an average price of $25.46 per share, with a total value of $923,968.86. Following the purchase, the insider now owns 41,934 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,067,639.64. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

MDU Resources Group Price Performance

Shares of MDU Resources Group stock traded down $0.09 during trading on Friday, hitting $25.10. 542,185 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,234,072. The stock has a market cap of $5.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.77, a PEG ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a quick ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $18.04 and a 52 week high of $25.99. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $24.59 and its 200-day moving average is $21.51.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The utilities provider reported $0.52 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.47 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.21 billion for 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%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 15.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.23 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 1.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 13th will be paid a $0.125 dividend. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.99%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 13th. MDU Resources Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 21.37%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on MDU shares. StockNews.com cut shares of MDU Resources Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 3rd. Argus upgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $30.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Monday.

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.