Financial Performance - 2017 - Earnings from continuing operations increased from $232.4 million in 2016 to $284.2 million in 2017[10], which includes a $39.5 million benefit from tax reform[11] - Consolidated earnings increased from $63.7 million in 2016 to $280.4 million in 2017[13], including a $39.5 million benefit from tax reform[14] - Construction Services reported earnings of $53.3 million in 2017[22], including a $4.3 million income tax benefit[23], and record revenues of $1.37 billion[23] - Construction Materials reported earnings of $123.4 million in 2017[25], including a $41.9 million income tax benefit[26] Segment Performance - 2017 - Electric & Natural Gas Utility reported earnings of $81.6 million[17], including a $6.4 million charge from tax reform[17], with increased retail sales volumes for both electric (2%)[17] and natural gas (13%)[17] - Pipeline & Midstream reported earnings of $20.5 million[20], including a $200,000 charge from tax reform[20], reflecting the sale of Pronghorn assets in January 2017[20] Outlook and Guidance - 2018 EPS guidance is projected to be in the range of $1.25 to $1.45[43] - Construction Services anticipates 2018 revenues between $1.45 billion and $1.60 billion[39] - Construction Materials anticipates 2018 revenues between $1.8 billion and $1.9 billion[42] Capital Program and Dividends - The company's total capital forecast for 2018-2022 is $2.323 billion[46], allocated to Utility ($1.508 billion), Construction ($466 million), and Pipeline & Midstream ($349 million)[46] - The company has increased its dividend for 27 consecutive years[50] and has made dividend payments for 80 consecutive years[49, 50]

Financial Performance - 2018 - Earnings from continuing operations reached $284.2 million, with EPS at $1.45, including a $39.5 million or $0.20 per share benefit from tax reform[16] - Consolidated operations earnings were $280.4 million, with EPS at $1.43, including a $39.5 million benefit from tax reform[19] - The Electric & Natural Gas Utility reported earnings of $84.7 million, which includes a $6.4 million decrease resulting from tax reform[22, 23] - Pipeline & Midstream reported earnings of $28.5 million, including a $4.2 million tax benefit[25, 26] - Construction Services reported record earnings of $64.3 million and record revenues of $1.37 billion[28, 29] - Construction Materials reported earnings of $92.6 million and record revenues of $1.93 billion[31, 33] Outlook and Guidance - 2019 - The company anticipates EPS in the range of $1.35 to $1.55 for the consolidated business[51] - Construction Services expects revenue between $1.35 billion and $1.50 billion in 2019[47] - Construction Materials projects revenue between $2.0 billion and $2.15 billion in 2019[50] Capital Program and Dividends - The company has a total capital forecast of $2.642 billion for 2019-2023[53] - The 2018 annualized dividend was $0.81 per share[57]

2019 Earnings Overview - The company reported 2019 earnings of $272.3 million, compared to $335.5 million in 2018[17] - 2019 EPS was $1.39, compared to $1.69 in 2018[17] - The Electric & Natural Gas Utility reported record earnings of $94.3 million in 2019, a 11.3% increase from $84.7 million in 2018[20, 21] - The Construction Services group reported record earnings of $93.0 million in 2019, a 44.6% increase from $64.3 million in 2018, with record revenue of $1.85 billion compared to $1.37 billion in 2018[27, 28] - The Construction Materials group reported earnings of $120.4 million in 2019, a 29.9% increase from $92.6 million in 2018, with record revenue of $2.19 billion compared to $1.93 billion in 2018[30, 31] - The Pipeline & Midstream group reported earnings of $29.6 million in 2019, a 3.9% increase from $28.5 million in 2018[23, 25] 2020 Guidance and Outlook - The company initiated 2020 EPS guidance of $1.65 - $1.85[48] - The Construction Services group expects 2020 revenue in the range of $1.85 billion to $2.05 billion[44] - The Construction Materials group expects 2020 revenue in the range of $2.2 billion to $2.4 billion[47] - The Electric & Natural Gas Utility expects to grow rate base by 5% compounded annually over the next five years and customer base to continue growing by 1-2% annually[37]

2020 Financial Performance - MDU Resources' total revenue for 2020 was $55327 million[6], with an EBITDA of $8567 million[6] and earnings of $3902 million[6] - The Electric & Natural Gas segment reported revenues of $11802 million[6], EBITDA of $3048 million[6], and earnings of $996 million[6] - The Pipeline segment's revenue was $1439 million[6], EBITDA was $740 million[6], and earnings reached $370 million[6] - Construction Services achieved revenues of $20957 million[6] and record earnings of $1097 million[6], up from $930 million in 2019[13], with an EBITDA of $1731 million[6] - Construction Materials recorded revenues of $21780 million[6] and record earnings of $1473 million[6], compared to $1204 million in 2019[14], with an EBITDA of $3049 million[6] 2021 Outlook and Guidance - The company initiated 2021 EPS guidance in the range of $195 to $215[18] and EBITDA guidance between $875 million and $925 million[18] - Construction Services anticipates revenues between $21 billion and $23 billion in 2021[17] - Construction Materials also expects revenues between $21 billion and $23 billion in 2021[17]

Financial Performance & Growth - The company experienced consistent long-term growth with a 9.3% EBITDA CAGR from 2015 to 2020[6] - EPS also saw significant growth, with a 16.7% CAGR from 2015 to 2020[6] - The company's ROIC improved from 5.5% in 2015 to 8.8% in 2020[6] - YTD Operating Revenues as of June 30, 2021, were $2.65 billion, up from $2.56 billion in 2020[8] - YTD EBITDA from continuing operations as of June 30, 2021, was $382.6 million, compared to $345.1 million in 2020[10] - YTD Net Income as of June 30, 2021, was $152.3 million, an increase from $124.8 million in 2020[11] - The company projects a total EBITDA between $875 million and $925 million for 2021[83] - The company projects EPS between $2.00 and $2.15 for 2021[83] Business Segment Performance - Construction Services reported record second-quarter earnings of $28.9 million[39] - Construction Materials reported earnings of $51.4 million for the second quarter[52] - Electric and Natural Gas Utility reported earnings of $9.6 million for the second quarter[69] - Pipeline reported earnings of $9.2 million for the second quarter[80] Strategic Positioning & Opportunities - The company has a balance of cyclical and counter-cyclical businesses, with a 2020 EBITDA mix of 56% Construction and 44% Regulated Energy Delivery[6] - The company sees a significant opportunity in US infrastructure, citing a >$1 trillion spending gap[6] - The company's Construction Services segment has a record backlog of $1.32 billion as of June 30, 2021[39]

MDU Resources Group Transformation and Strategy - MDU Resources is transitioning to a pure-play regulated energy delivery company, focusing on its "CORE" business[9, 19] - The company aims to achieve long-term EPS growth of 6-8% and utility rate base growth of 7%[29] - MDU Resources targets a dividend payout ratio of 60-70% of regulated earnings[29, 161] Financial Performance and Outlook - MDU Construction Services Group (Everus) forecasts EBITDA of $220 million to $240 million in 2024[134, 157] - Regulated Energy Delivery anticipates earnings in the range of $170 million to $180 million in 2024[155] - The company plans capital investments of $2.8 billion from 2024-2028[163] Regulatory and Operational Highlights - The company's pipeline system has a transportation capacity of approximately 26 billion cubic feet per day[40, 172] - MDU Resources achieved a 40% reduction in emissions intensity compared to 2005 levels and aims for a 45% reduction by 2030[96] - The company's electric utility aims to reduce GHG emissions by 45% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels[100] Construction Services Group (Everus) - Everus backlog remains strong at $201 billion as of December 31, 2023[134, 175] - Everus completed more than 40000 projects in 2023[127]

Market Overview - Volatility has returned to Wall Street due to escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, with the U.S. gradually getting involved [2][5] - The Dow declined by 0.7%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell by 0.8% and 0.9%, respectively [5] - Recent geopolitical tensions have unsettled markets, which could remain volatile for an extended period [9] Investment Recommendations - It is advisable to invest in safe-haven defensive stocks from the utility sector, including Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO), Fortis, Inc. (FTS), MDU Resources Group, Inc. (MDU), and NiSource Inc. (NI) [3][11] - These stocks are characterized by low beta (greater than 0 but less than 1), high dividend yields, and favorable Zacks Ranks [4][11] Company Profiles Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO) - Engaged in regulated natural gas distribution and storage, serving approximately 3.3 million customers across eight states [10] - Expected earnings growth rate of 6% for the current year, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate improvement of 0.6% over the last 60 days [12] - Current dividend yield is 2.27% and beta is 0.71 [12] Fortis, Inc. (FTS) - Operates in the electric and gas utility business, primarily in Canada, the U.S., and the Caribbean [13] - Expected earnings growth rate of 3.4% for the current year, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate improvement of 3.3% over the last 60 days [14] - Current dividend yield is 3.70% and beta is 0.49 [14] MDU Resources Group, Inc. (MDU) - Provides value-added natural resource products and regulated energy delivery services [15] - Expected earnings growth rate of 5.6% for the current year, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate improvement of 1.1% over the last 60 days [15] - Current dividend yield is 3.18% and beta is 0.72 [15] NiSource Inc. (NI) - Delivers natural gas and electricity to approximately 3.7 million customers across six states [16] - Expected earnings growth rate of 7.4% for the current year, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate improvement of 0.5% over the last 60 days [17] - Current dividend yield is 2.83% and beta is 0.54 [17]

Industry Overview - Natural gas distribution pipelines are essential for delivering natural gas to consumers, with nearly 3 million pipelines in the U.S. [1] - Rising domestic natural gas output is driven by increased exports and public awareness of emissions reduction [2] - The natural gas sector requires consistent funding for maintenance and repair of aging infrastructure, with anticipated interest rate cuts expected to lower capital servicing costs [3] Demand and Growth Projections - Natural gas consumption for electricity generation is projected to contribute nearly 40% in 2025 and 2026 [5] - U.S. natural gas exports are expected to grow by 3.4 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2025 and 2.1 Bcf/d in 2026, with export volumes increasing by 8% in 2025 and 7% in 2026 [5] Company Comparisons - MDU Resources has a market capitalization of $3.43 billion, while Southwest Gas has $5.11 billion [6] - MDU's 2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimate has increased by 1.1% to 95 cents, while Southwest Gas's EPS estimate has increased by 4.8% to $3.72 [7] - MDU has a return on equity (ROE) of 9.86%, compared to Southwest Gas's 6.76%, both above the industry average of 9.24% [8] Financial Metrics - MDU has a lower debt-to-capital ratio of 44.44% compared to Southwest Gas's 57.36%, with the industry average at 50.49% [11] - MDU's stock has lost 0.5% over the past three months, while Southwest Gas has declined by 2.3% [10][12] - MDU's dividend yield is 3.1%, while Southwest Gas's is 3.49%, both exceeding the S&P 500 average of 1.24% [13] Valuation - Both companies are trading at a premium on a forward 12-month P/E basis, with MDU at 17.16X and Southwest Gas at 17.98X, compared to the industry average of 14.84X [14] Conclusion - Both MDU Resources and Southwest Gas are positioned well for growth, but MDU is favored due to its superior ROE, debt management, and stock performance [15]

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Core Viewpoint - Rosen Law Firm is reminding investors who purchased Everus Construction Group, Inc. common stock during the specified Class Period of the upcoming lead plaintiff deadline for a class action lawsuit [1][2]. Group 1: Class Action Details - Investors who acquired Everus Construction common stock during the Class Period or through the spinoff from MDU Resources may be eligible for compensation without any out-of-pocket fees [2]. - A class action lawsuit has already been filed, and interested parties must move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff by June 3, 2025 [3]. - The lawsuit alleges that Everus Construction made false or misleading statements regarding its business operations, which led to investor damages when the truth was revealed [5]. Group 2: Rosen Law Firm's Credentials - Rosen Law Firm has a strong track record in securities class actions, having achieved the largest settlement against a Chinese company at the time and being ranked No. 1 for securities class action settlements in 2017 [4]. - The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors, including over $438 million in 2019 alone [4]. - Founding partner Laurence Rosen has been recognized as a leading figure in the plaintiffs' bar, highlighting the firm's expertise in this area [4].