Sifting through countless of stocks in the Gas Utilities industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in MDU Resources Group, Inc. or New Jersey Resources Corporation because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how MDU Resources Group, Inc. and New Jersey Resources Corporation compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About MDU Resources Group, Inc. and New Jersey Resources Corporation

MDU Resources Group, Inc. engages in the regulated energy delivery businesses in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Electric, Natural Gas Distribution, and Pipeline. It generates, transmits, and distributes electricity in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming through approximately 3,400 miles of transmission and 4,900 miles of distribution lines, as well as 86 transmission and 299 distribution substations. The company also distributes natural gas in Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming through approximately 22,000 miles of distribution and 540 miles transmission systems; and supplies related value-added services. In addition, it provides natural gas transportation and underground storage services through a regulated pipeline system primarily in the Rocky Mountain and northern Great Plains regions; and cathodic protection non-regulated energy-related services. Further, the company offers transportation and storage services. MDU Resources Group, Inc. was incorporated in 1924 and is headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota.

New Jersey Resources Corporation, an energy services holding company, distributes natural gas. The company operates through four segments: Natural Gas Distribution, Clean Energy Ventures, Energy Services, and Storage and Transportation. The Natural Gas Distribution segment offers regulated natural gas utility services to residential and commercial customers in Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, and Sussex counties in New Jersey; provides capacity and storage management services; and participates in the off-system sales and capacity release markets. The Clean Energy Ventures segment invests in, owns, and operates clean energy projects, including commercial and residential solar installation situated in New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut, Michigan, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. The Energy Services segment maintains and transacts natural gas transportation and storage capacity contracts, as well as provides physical wholesale energy, retail energy and energy management services. The Storage and Transportation segment invests in energy-related ventures. It provides home services and other operations, such as heating, ventilation, and cooling services; sales and installation of appliances; electrical and generator service and installations; and plumbing repair and installation services, as well as holds commercial real estate properties. The company also offers shared administrative and financial services; and natural gas storage and transmission assets services. New Jersey Resources Corporation was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in Wall, New Jersey.

Latest Gas Utilities and MDU Resources Group, Inc., New Jersey Resources Corporation Stock News

As of May 12, 2026, MDU Resources Group, Inc. had a $4.8 billion market capitalization, compared to the Gas Utilities median of $5.2 million. MDU Resources Group, Inc.’s stock is up 15.6% in 2026, up 1.2% in the previous five trading days and up 31.2% in the past year.

Currently, MDU Resources Group, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 24.7. MDU Resources Group, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $1.8 billion with a 10.5% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was -10.2%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $0.973 per share for the current fiscal year. MDU Resources Group, Inc. currently has a 2.5% dividend yield.

As of May 12, 2026, New Jersey Resources Corporation had a $5.7 billion market cap, putting it in the 70th percentile of all stocks. New Jersey Resources Corporation’s stock is up 23.7% in 2026, up 4% in the previous five trading days and up 20.47% in the past year.

Currently, New Jersey Resources Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 16.8. New Jersey Resources Corporation’s trailing 12-month revenue is $2.2 billion with a 15.7% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 2.9%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $3.469 per share for the current fiscal year. New Jersey Resources Corporation currently has a 3.3% dividend yield.

How We Compare MDU Resources Group, Inc. and New Jersey Resources Corporation Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at MDU Resources Group, Inc. and New Jersey Resources Corporation’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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MDU Resources Group, Inc. and New Jersey Resources Corporation’s Quality Grades

Company	Ticker	Quality
MDU Resources Group, Inc.	MDU	D
New Jersey Resources Corporation	NJR	D

Like the Value Grade, AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the percentile rank of key metrics. Specifically, the Quality Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and the F-Score.

The score is variable, meaning it can consider all eight measures or, should any of the eight measures not be valid, the remaining measures that are valid. To be assigned a Quality Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) measure and corresponding ranking for at least four of the eight quality measures.

The Quality Score is used to assess the underlying “quality” of a particular stock. A higher-quality stock possesses traits associated with upside potential and reduced downside risk. Backtesting of the Quality Grade shows that stocks with higher grades, on average, outperformed stocks with lower grades over the period of 1998 through 2019.

Stocks receive better grades (higher scores) for having higher scores for the quality subcomponents and worse grades (lower scores) for lower scores for the subcomponents.

MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a Quality Score of 25, which is Weak. New Jersey Resources Corporation has a Quality Score of 37, which is Weak.

The Quality Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither MDU Resources Group, Inc. or New Jersey Resources Corporation has a high enough Quality Grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors who are considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if MDU Resources Group, Inc. or New Jersey Resources Corporation is the better investment when it comes to quality.

MDU Resources Group, Inc. and New Jersey Resources Corporation’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
MDU Resources Group, Inc.	MDU	B
New Jersey Resources Corporation	NJR	B

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 68, which is Strong. New Jersey Resources Corporation has a Momentum Score of 61, which is Strong.

The Momentum Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Momentum Grade breakdown above, both MDU Resources Group, Inc. and New Jersey Resources Corporation have a grade of B. For those who focus solely on a company’s momentum, further research will need to be conducted into both companies to see if they fit your individual needs as an investor.

MDU Resources Group, Inc. and New Jersey Resources Corporation’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
MDU Resources Group, Inc.	MDU	C
New Jersey Resources Corporation	NJR	B

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

MDU Resources Group, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 41, which is Neutral. New Jersey Resources Corporation has a Earnings Estimate Score of 78, which is Positive.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade Winner: New Jersey Resources Corporation

As you can clearly see from the Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade breakdown above, New Jersey Resources Corporation has a better Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade than MDU Resources Group, Inc.. For those who are specifically looking for companies with better short-term prospects when compared to other companies in the same industry, New Jersey Resources Corporation could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Other MDU Resources Group, Inc. and New Jersey Resources Corporation Grades

In addition to Momentum, Quality and Estimate Revisions, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Growth.

Growth investing builds on the idea that stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth outperform those of slower-growth companies. AAII measures growth through consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether MDU Resources Group, Inc. and New Jersey Resources Corporation pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, MDU Resources Group, Inc. or New Jersey Resources Corporation Stock?

Overall, MDU Resources Group, Inc. stock has a Momentum Score of 68, Estimate Revisions Score of 41 and Quality Score of 25.

New Jersey Resources Corporation stock has a Momentum Score of 61, Estimate Revisions Score of 78 and Quality Score of 37.

Comparing MDU Resources Group, Inc. and New Jersey Resources Corporation’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.