Sasco Capital Inc. CT Sells 195,560 Shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU)

Sasco Capital Inc. CT trimmed its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) by 14.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,183,851 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 195,560 shares during the period. MDU Resources Group makes up 4.9% of Sasco Capital Inc. CT’s investment portfolio, making the stock its largest holding. Sasco Capital Inc. CT owned about 0.58% of MDU Resources Group worth $32,449,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of MDU. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group during the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in MDU Resources Group by 158.9% during the 3rd quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,196 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 734 shares during the period. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the third quarter worth $40,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 23.9% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,142 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 413 shares during the last quarter. 71.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

MDU Resources Group Stock Up 1.4 %

MDU Resources Group stock opened at $18.60 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $3.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.54, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $14.91 and a 12 month high of $30.52. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $25.47 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $25.33.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $1.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $969.17 million. MDU Resources Group had a return on equity of 11.24% and a net margin of 8.92%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.29 EPS. Equities analysts predict that MDU Resources Group, Inc. will post 1.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MDU Resources Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.80%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 12th. MDU Resources Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.67%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently commented on MDU shares. Bank of America raised MDU Resources Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $31.00 to $17.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. Siebert Williams Shank raised shares of MDU Resources Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. They issued a “hold” rating on the 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.