MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) announced its earnings results on Thursday. The utilities provider reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37, FiscalAI reports. MDU Resources Group had a return on equity of 6.81% and a net margin of 9.02%.The firm had revenue of $534.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $560.72 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.90 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. MDU Resources Group updated its FY 2026 guidance to 0.930-1.000 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from MDU Resources Group’s conference call:

• MDU reported 2025 earnings of $190.4 million ( $0.93 per share), in the middle of guidance, and issued 2026 EPS guidance of $0.93–$1.00 while maintaining a long-term EPS growth target of 6%–8% and a 60%–70% dividend payout ratio.
• The company deployed $792 million of capital in 2025, closed and placed in service a 49% interest in the Badger Wind Farm (driving a 16% year-over-year increase in utility rate base) and raised its 2026–2030 capex plan to $3.1 billion.
• Regulatory actions were mixed but constructive overall — North Dakota approved recovery for Badger Wind and Idaho and Washington rate increases took effect, while Montana denied interim rate relief (reconsideration requested), leaving some near-term recovery timing uncertainty.
• MDU has signed electric service agreements for 580 MW of data center load (phased online through 2027) using a capital‑light approach that the company says benefits earnings and reduces costs for other retail customers.
• The pipeline segment posted record earnings ($68.2 million) and is advancing projects — Line Section 32, Minot Industrial Pipeline support, and the Bakken East open season (through March 13) with a potential FERC 7C filing targeted in Q3 2026 and an eventual FID dependent on customer commitments and financing decisions.

MDU Resources Group Stock Down 3.0%

Shares of MDU Resources Group stock traded down $0.63 during trading on Thursday, hitting $20.41. 2,027,866 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,135,090. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $20.06 and its 200 day simple moving average is $18.72. The firm has a market cap of $4.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. MDU Resources Group has a 52-week low of $15.04 and a 52-week high of $21.49.

MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, December 11th were given a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 11th. MDU Resources Group’s payout ratio is currently 67.47%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of MDU Resources Group to $22.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. TD Cowen started coverage on MDU Resources Group in a report on Thursday, October 16th. They set a “hold” rating and a $20.00 price target for the company. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded MDU Resources Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $21.00.

Institutional Trading of MDU Resources Group

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in MDU. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 6,404.3% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,496 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 1,473 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 94.5% in the 2nd quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,647 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 800 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in MDU Resources Group by 56.4% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,508 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 904 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in MDU Resources Group by 356.8% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,170 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 2,476 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of MDU Resources Group during the second quarter worth about $66,000. 71.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.