Sei Investments Co. Purchases 24,733 Shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Sei Investments Co. grew its position in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 26.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 119,398 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 24,733 shares during the quarter. Sei Investments Co. owned about 0.06% of MDU Resources Group worth $2,152,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MDU. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new stake in MDU Resources Group during the 4th quarter valued at $77,000. Teacher Retirement System of Texas raised its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 42.0% in the fourth quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 90,870 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $1,637,000 after acquiring an additional 26,896 shares during the period. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the 4th quarter worth about $366,000. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System boosted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 589.0% during the 4th quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 79,930 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $1,440,000 after purchasing an additional 68,329 shares during the period. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 19.1% during the 4th quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 278,319 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $5,015,000 after purchasing an additional 44,587 shares during the last quarter. 71.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at MDU Resources Group

In related news, Director Dennis W. Johnson purchased 30,000 shares of MDU Resources Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $16.64 per share, with a total value of $499,200.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 180,166 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,997,962.24. The trade was a 19.98 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

MDU Resources Group Price Performance

MDU Resources Group stock opened at $16.04 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $3.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.68. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $16.96 and a two-hundred day moving average of $20.09. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $12.99 and a 1 year high of $20.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 1.07.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The utilities provider reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. On average, research analysts forecast 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 13th were issued a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 13th. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.24%. MDU Resources Group’s payout ratio is currently 37.68%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MDU has been the subject of several analyst reports. 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 initiated coverage on MDU Resources Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a “hold” rating and a $18.00 price target for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $21.00.

MDU Resources Group Company Profile

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.