Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. Lowers Holdings in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. reduced its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 18.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 41,673 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 9,137 shares during the period. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C.’s holdings in MDU Resources Group were worth $751,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quest Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the third quarter valued at $83,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 5.1% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,082,468 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $57,080,000 after purchasing an additional 101,955 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. raised its position in MDU Resources Group by 464.9% in the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 149,060 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $4,086,000 after purchasing an additional 122,671 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 5.9% in the 3rd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 57,472 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,575,000 after buying an additional 3,177 shares during the period. Finally, Glenmede Trust Co. NA acquired a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group during the third quarter worth about $291,000. 71.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MDU Resources Group Stock Performance

Shares of MDU opened at $16.68 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.81. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $12.99 and a 52-week high of $20.39. 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 stock has a 50 day moving average price of $17.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $20.52.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last issued its 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 net margin of 7.31% and a return on equity of 10.20%. Research analysts predict that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $0.13 per share. 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 (DPR) is currently 37.68%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on MDU. StockNews.com downgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. Jefferies Financial Group started 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 objective for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $21.00.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Dennis W. Johnson purchased 30,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of $16.64 per share, with a total value of $499,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 180,166 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,997,962.24. This represents a 19.98 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.00% 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.