Ancora Advisors LLC Sells 54,372 Shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Ancora Advisors LLC reduced its position in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 6.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 745,995 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 54,372 shares during the period. Ancora Advisors LLC’s holdings in MDU Resources Group were worth $13,443,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in MDU Resources Group by 132.0% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 6,999,856 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $126,137,000 after purchasing an additional 3,982,783 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 16.6% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 22,997,452 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $414,414,000 after acquiring an additional 3,276,114 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $40,857,000. Hennessy Advisors Inc. raised its stake in MDU Resources Group by 1,098.5% during the fourth quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 2,155,007 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $38,833,000 after acquiring an additional 1,975,200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pertento Partners LLP lifted its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 90.3% during the 4th quarter. Pertento Partners LLP now owns 2,990,144 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $53,882,000 after purchasing an additional 1,419,118 shares during the last quarter. 71.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MDU Resources Group Stock Up 0.9 %

NYSE MDU opened at $17.50 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.15. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $13.23 and a 52 week high of $20.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.68. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $16.74 and a 200-day moving average of $18.53.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.03. MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 7.31% and a return on equity of 10.20%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 0.94 EPS for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 13th were issued a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 13th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.97%. MDU Resources Group’s payout ratio is 37.68%.

Insider Activity at MDU Resources Group

In other MDU Resources Group news, Director Dennis W. Johnson purchased 30,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $16.64 per share, with a total value of $499,200.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 180,166 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,997,962.24. The trade was a 19.98 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.94% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have issued reports on MDU. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on MDU Resources Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $18.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com lowered shares of MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, February 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price 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.