MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the six ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $21.25.

A number of research firms have issued reports on MDU. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on MDU Resources Group in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $22.00 target price for the company. Loop Capital set a $21.00 target price on MDU Resources Group in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research note on Thursday, January 15th.

MDU Resources Group Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of MDU Resources Group stock opened at $22.48 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. MDU Resources Group has a 12 month low of $15.76 and a 12 month high of $22.83. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $21.27 and a 200 day simple moving average of $20.55. The stock has a market cap of $4.60 billion, a PE ratio of 24.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.14 and a beta of 0.70.

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.42 by ($0.03). MDU Resources Group had a net margin of 10.47% and a return on equity of 6.92%. The business had revenue of $605.98 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $688.34 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.40 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. MDU Resources Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.930-1.000 EPS. Research analysts predict that MDU Resources Group will post 0.98 EPS for the current year.

MDU Resources Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 12th were paid a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 12th. MDU Resources Group’s payout ratio is presently 60.22%.

Insider Activity at MDU Resources Group

In other news, Director Charles M. Kelley purchased 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $20.84 per share, for a total transaction of $104,200.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 8,031 shares in the company, valued at approximately $167,366.04. This trade represents a 164.96% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of MDU Resources Group

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MDU. Earnest Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 678.2% in the fourth quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 9,946,196 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $194,150,000 after purchasing an additional 8,668,137 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 2,442.7% in the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 4,436,521 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $86,601,000 after purchasing an additional 4,262,042 shares in the last quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MDU Resources Group by 41.3% in the fourth quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC now owns 12,894,945 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $251,709,000 after purchasing an additional 3,766,737 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $59,617,000. Finally, Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group in the first quarter valued at about $52,457,000. 71.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key MDU Resources Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting MDU Resources Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: MDU reported strong open season interest for its proposed Bakken East Pipeline Project, which could support future growth if the project advances successfully.
• Neutral Sentiment: The company affirmed 2026 guidance of $0.93 to $1.00 EPS, signaling management still expects full-year performance to remain on track despite a weak quarter.
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerages now have a consensus Hold recommendation on MDU Resources, reflecting a cautious stance after the earnings report.
• Negative Sentiment: First-quarter results showed lower sales and earnings than expected, with milder weather and higher interest costs weighing on performance. MDU Resources Reports First Quarter 2026 Results; Progress on Proposed Bakken East Pipeline

MDU Resources Group Company Profile

MDU Resources Group, Inc is a diversified energy and services holding company headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota. The company operates through two primary segments: Utilities and Construction Services and Pipelines & Midstream. Serving a broad geographic footprint across the upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest, MDU provides essential energy distribution and infrastructure services to residential, commercial and industrial customers.

The Utilities segment delivers electric and natural gas distribution services in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, Wisconsin, Michigan and Washington.