Orin
MDUNYSE·Regulated Gas

MDU Resources Group, Inc. MDU

Market cap $3.9BP/E 19.6× trailingGross margin 42.4%Reports Thu 5 Nov, before the open
$18.61
−0.03 (−0.16%)live 11:20 ET
52-wk $17.12 – $22.98
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Orin's take
0.62conviction · moderate
Refreshed 24 Sep · take v4. A new filing or a print queues the next refresh.

MDU Resources remains a hold — the stock trades at a 13% P/E and ~20% EV/EBITDA discount to peers at $18.39 with RSI at 25.4 (deeply oversold), while Q2 2026 EPS improved to $0.10 from $0.0672 a year earlier and management reaffirmed FY 2026 guidance of $0.93–$1.00. However, FY 2025 results expose a still-strained business: gross profit fell to $404.9M from $571.9M, free cash flow was negative $318.6M against $792M capex, and total debt rose to $2.74B.

The $3.1B capital plan through 2030 targets 6–8% long-term EPS growth, but until that capex converts into visible rate-base earnings and margin stabilizes, the balance-sheet pressure keeps this a wait-and-see name.

What could go wrong

  • Margin compression. FY 2025 gross profit dropped to $404.9M from $571.9M (FY 2024) even as revenue grew 6.66%, indicating cost or mix pressures that may persist through the investment cycle.
  • Balance-sheet strain. Total debt rose to $2.74B with FCF of negative $318.6M and capex of $792M; the $3.1B plan through 2030 could further pressure credit metrics before rate-base earnings materialize.
  • Execution risk on Bakken and regulatory outcomes. The growth thesis depends on timely Bakken East pipeline progress and favorable rate cases; setbacks could delay the 6–8% long-term EPS growth target.
  • Technical weakness. Stock at $18.39 trades below both the 50-day ($20.03) and 200-day ($20.69) moving averages with bearish MACD; oversold RSI of 25.4 could signal further deterioration rather than reversal.

What would change my mind

FCF inflection. Free cash flow turns positive as capex normalizes or rate-base earnings ramp, indicating the investment cycle is converting to cash generationbullish
Gross margin recovery. Gross profit rebounds toward FY 2024 levels ($571.9M), demonstrating that cost pressures are transitory and the capex is translating into earningsbullish
Guidance cut or regulatory setback. FY 2026 EPS guidance is reduced below $0.93 or an adverse rate-case outcome delays rate-base recoverybearish
Credit deterioration. Total debt continues rising without proportional rate-base growth, prompting rating-agency concern or higher financing costsbearish

Where this comes from: peer_relative (as of 2026-09-23): pe_vs_median_pct -13.0%, ev_to_ebitda_vs_median_pct -19.6% · quarterly_results: Q2 2026 EPS $0.10 (period ended 2026-06-30), Q2 2025 EPS $0.0672 · news: Seeking Alpha article published 2026-09-02 · fundamentals: FY 2025 gross_profit $404.9M, FY 2024 gross_profit $571.936M. Orin's read on MDU; not advice.

Twelve months actual closes to 2026-09-24 · actual filings

Sept 25Nov 25Jan 26Mar 26May 26Jul 26

50-day average 200-day average · volume below

Largest holders · 13F Q2 2026

Money flow
FilerPositionOf fund
Vanguard Portfolio Management$269.2M0.0% of fund
Earnest Partners$206.3M0.7% of fund
Vanguard Capital Management$199.7M0.0% of fund
State Street$157.4M0.0% of fund
Bank Of America /De/$129.2M0.0% of fund
Morgan Stanley$86.7M0.0% of fund

63 filers · quarter ended Q2 2026 · positions, not flows

Insiders, last 24 months: 61 Form 4 filings, net −$3.0M. Of the 50 on hand, 3 were open-market purchases and 0 sales— the rest are grants, option exercises and tax withholding.

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Where it trades

· Utilities
MetricNowOwn medianSector
P/E19.6×—25.9×
EV/EBITDA13.1×——
P/S2.13×——
P/B1.3×——

What Wall Street published

19 firms · 2026-09-24
Consensus target

$25

$25 – $25 · +34% against today's price

How they rate it
  • 9 buy or overweight
  • 8 hold
  • 2 underweight or sell

The analysts’ consensus and their own ratings, not Orin’s. A target is a twelve-month opinion published by the firm that wrote it.

Against the companies it is compared to

median P/E 23.5× of 5 peers
CompanyMarket capP/EEV/EBITDAGrossNetROE
MDUMDU Resources Group, Inc.$4B19.6×13.1×42.4%10.8%7%
AGXArgan, Inc.$5B28.1×21.5×20.9%15.1%39%
ECGEverus Construction Group, Inc.$6B23.5×16.2×13.0%6.0%38%
FELEFranklin Electric Co., Inc.$4B27.7×16.4×35.5%7.1%12%
GFFGriffon Corporation$4B21.4×11.6×43.4%9.1%198%
MWAMueller Water Products, Inc.$3B15.0×9.6×37.9%15.0%21%
WSCWillScot Holdings Corporation$3B—19.6×48.4%-3.0%-7%

The median is of the 5 peers listed above and nothing else — check it against the column. This company trades 16.4% below it. The peer set is the vendor’s, so a company can appear here that a person would not have chosen.

What it has traded at

P/E by fiscal year
FY14 5.8×FY25 21.0×

What its sector has traded at

Utilities
FY14 14.0×FY26 27.4×

Two scales, drawn separately on purpose: a sector median and one company’s multiple are not the same number and putting them on one axis invites a comparison neither series supports.

Every estimate on one scale

price $18.61
52-week range$17 – $23
Analyst targets$25 – $25
At sector P/E (26×)$25

The vertical rule is the current price. Ranges and point estimates are the backend’s, published as they were calculated; an arrow means the estimate sits beyond this scale, and its number is on the right.