Are MDU Resources Group, Inc.'s (NYSE:MDU) Mixed Financials Driving The Negative Sentiment?

Unlock stock picks and a broker-level newsfeed that powers Wall Street.

editorial-team@simplywallst.com (Simply Wall St)

Tue, Mar 25, 2025, 4:12 AM 4 min read

MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU) has had a rough three months with its share price down 6.5%. It is possible that the markets have ignored the company's differing financials and decided to lean-in to the negative sentiment. Stock prices are usually driven by a company’s financial performance over the long term, and therefore we decided to pay more attention to the company's financial performance. In this article, we decided to focus on MDU Resources Group's ROE.

ROE or return on equity is a useful tool to assess how effectively a company can generate returns on the investment it received from its shareholders. In short, ROE shows the profit each dollar generates with respect to its shareholder investments.

How To Calculate Return On Equity?

Return on equity can be calculated by using the formula:

Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) ÷ Shareholders' Equity

So, based on the above formula, the ROE for MDU Resources Group is:

6.7% = US$181m ÷ US$2.7b (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2024).

The 'return' is the yearly profit. That means that for every $1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated $0.07 in profit.

See our latest analysis for MDU Resources Group

What Is The Relationship Between ROE And Earnings Growth?

Thus far, we have learned that ROE measures how efficiently a company is generating its profits. Based on how much of its profits the company chooses to reinvest or "retain", we are then able to evaluate a company's future ability to generate profits. Assuming everything else remains unchanged, the higher the ROE and profit retention, the higher the growth rate of a company compared to companies that don't necessarily bear these characteristics.

MDU Resources Group's Earnings Growth And 6.7% ROE

On the face of it, MDU Resources Group's ROE is not much to talk about. Next, when compared to the average industry ROE of 8.5%, the company's ROE leaves us feeling even less enthusiastic. Hence, the flat earnings seen by MDU Resources Group over the past five years could probably be the result of it having a lower ROE.

As a next step, we compared MDU Resources Group's net income growth with the industry and discovered that the industry saw an average growth of 5.0% in the same period.

past-earnings-growth — NYSE:MDU Past Earnings Growth March 25th 2025

Earnings growth is a huge factor in stock valuation. What investors need to determine next is if the expected earnings growth, or the lack of it, is already built into the share price. By doing so, they will have an idea if the stock is headed into clear blue waters or if swampy waters await. Is MDU Resources Group fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.

Is MDU Resources Group Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?

In spite of a normal three-year median payout ratio of 48% (or a retention ratio of 52%), MDU Resources Group hasn't seen much growth in its earnings. Therefore, there might be some other reasons to explain the lack in that respect. For example, the business could be in decline.

Additionally, MDU Resources Group has paid dividends over a period of at least ten years, which means that the company's management is determined to pay dividends even if it means little to no earnings growth. Our latest analyst data shows that the future payout ratio of the company over the next three years is expected to be approximately 51%. Accordingly, forecasts suggest that MDU Resources Group's future ROE will be 6.7% which is again, similar to the current ROE.

Summary

On the whole, we feel that the performance shown by MDU Resources Group can be open to many interpretations. While the company does have a high rate of profit retention, its low rate of return is probably hampering its earnings growth. That being so, the latest industry analyst forecasts show that the analysts are expecting to see a huge improvement in the company's earnings growth rate. To know more about the company's future earnings growth forecasts take a look at this free report on analyst forecasts for the company to find out more.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.