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MDU Resources Group (MDU Resources Group) Free Cash Flow : $-187 Mil (TTM As of Dec. 2023)


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What is MDU Resources Group Free Cash Flow?

MDU Resources Group's total free cash flow for the months ended in Dec. 2023 was $9 Mil. Its total free cash flow for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Dec. 2023 was $-187 Mil.

MDU Resources Group's Free Cash Flow per Share for the months ended in Dec. 2023 was $0.04. Its free cash flow per share for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Dec. 2023 was $-0.92.

During the past 12 months, the average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate of MDU Resources Group was -687.80% per year. Please click Growth Rate Calculation Example (GuruFocus) to see how GuruFocus calculates Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT)'s revenue growth rate. You can apply the same method to get the Free Cash Flow Growth Rate using Free Cash Flow per Share data.

During the past 13 years, MDU Resources Group's highest 3-Year average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate was 172.10% per year. The lowest was -63.20% per year. And the median was 17.10% per year.


MDU Resources Group Free Cash Flow Historical Data

The historical data trend for MDU Resources Group's Free Cash Flow can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

* Premium members only.

MDU Resources Group Free Cash Flow Chart

MDU Resources Group Annual Data
Trend Dec14 Dec15 Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23
Free Cash Flow
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -33.79 210.37 10.58 31.64 -187.10

MDU Resources Group Quarterly Data
Mar19 Jun19 Sep19 Dec19 Mar20 Jun20 Sep20 Dec20 Mar21 Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23
Free Cash Flow Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 91.97 -197.70 38.66 -36.64 8.57

MDU Resources Group Free Cash Flow Calculation

Free Cash Flow is considered one of the most important parameters to measure a company's earnings power by value investors because it is not subject to estimates of Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization (DDA). However, when we look at the Free Cash Flow, we should look from a long term perspective, because any year's Free Cash Flow can be drastically affected by the spending on Property, Plant, & Equipment (PPE) of the business in that year. Over the long term, Free Cash Flow should give pretty good picture on the real earnings power of the company.

MDU Resources Group's Free Cash Flow for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2023 is calculated as

Free Cash Flow (A: Dec. 2023 )=Cash Flow from Operations+Capital Expenditure
=332.627+-519.726
=-187

MDU Resources Group's Free Cash Flow for the quarter that ended in Dec. 2023 is calculated as

Free Cash Flow (Q: Dec. 2023 )=Cash Flow from Operations+Capital Expenditure
=157.713+-149.141
=9

Free Cash Flow for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Dec. 2023 adds up the quarterly data reported by the company within the most recent 12 months, which was $-187 Mil.

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.


MDU Resources Group  (NYSE:MDU) Free Cash Flow Explanation

Free Cash Flow is very close to Warren Buffett's definition of Owner's Earnings, except that in Warren Buffett's Owner's Earnings, the spending for Property, Plant, and Equipment is only for maintenance (replacement), while in the Free Cash Flow calculation, the cost of new Property, Plant, and Equipment due to business expansion is also deducted. There, Free Cash Flow is more conservative than Owner's Earnings.

In Don Yacktman's calculation of forward rate of return, he uses Free Cash Flow for the calculation. Yacktman explained the forward rate of return concept in detail in his interview with GuruFocus. Yacktman defines forward rate of return as the normalized free cash flow yield plus real growth plus inflation.

This is what Yacktman said in his March 2012 interview - when the S&P 500 was at 1400:

If the business is stable, this calculation is fairly straightforward. For instance, on the S&P 500 we would normalize earnings. We would then calculate what percentage of those earnings are not reinvested in the underlying businesses and are therefore free. Historically, for the S&P 500, this has been just under 50% of earnings. Currently, we expect the S&P to earn about 70 on a normalized basis, a number which is far below reported earnings due to our adjusting for record high profit margins. $70 X ½ / 1400 gives you a normalized free cash flow yield of approximately 2.5%.

The historical real growth rate of the S&P 500 (companies) is about 1.5%. Assuming an inflation rate of 2.5%, the forward rate of return on an investment in the S&P 500 is about 6.5% today (2.5% free cash flow yield plus 1.5% real growth plus 2.5% inflation).

For the growth part of the Forward Rate of Return calculation, GuruFocus uses the 5-year average growth rate of EBITDA per share as the growth rate, and the growth rate is always capped at 20%. For the Free Cash Flow we use per share data averaged over seven years. The reason we use seven years is because research shows that seven years is the length of the typical business cycle.

Therefore, as of Dec23, MDU Resources Group's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % is

Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % (Dec23)=Normalized Free Cash Flow/Price+5-Year EBITDA Growth Rate
=-0.01104762/19.8+-0.0365
=-3.71 %

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.


Be Aware

Free Cash Flow within a report period can be affected by management's decisions of capital spending. Therefore, it is important to look at long term when it comes to Free Cash Flow.


MDU Resources Group Free Cash Flow Related Terms

Thank you for viewing the detailed overview of MDU Resources Group's Free Cash Flow provided by GuruFocus.com. Please click on the following links to see related term pages.


MDU Resources Group (MDU Resources Group) Business Description

Traded in Other Exchanges
Address
1200 West Century Avenue, P.O. Box 5650, Bismarck, ND, USA, 58506-5650
MDU Resources Group Inc operates in five business segments, which includes: Electric segment, which generates, transmits, and distributes electricity in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming; The natural gas distribution segment distributes natural gas in those states, as well as in Idaho, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington; The pipeline segment provides natural gas transportation and underground storage services through a regulated pipeline system primarily in the Rocky Mountain and northern Great Plains regions of the United States; The construction materials and contracting segment mines, processes and sells construction aggregates (crushed stone, sand, and gravel); produces and sells asphalt mix, and supplies ready-mixed concrete; and The construction services segment.
Executives
Rob L. Johnson officer: President-WBI Holdings 1200 WEST CENTURY AVENUE, BISMARCK ND 58503
Paul R. Sanderson officer: VP, CLO & Secretary 1200 WEST CENTURY AVENUE, BISMARCK ND 58503
James H. Gemmel director C/O CORVEX MANAGEMENT LP, 667 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK NY 10065
Brian R. Gray officer: President & CEO-Knife River 1200 WEST CENTURY AVENUE, BISMARCK ND 58503
German Carmona-alvarez director 1200 WEST CENTURY AVENUE, BISMARCK ND 58503
Thomas S Everist director
Nicole A Kivisto officer: Controller P. O. BOX 5650, BISMARCK ND 58506-5650
Dale Rosenthal director 101 CONSTITUTION AVENUE, NW, WASHINGTON DC 20080
Karl A Liepitz officer: VP, Gen Counsel & Secretary 1200 WEST CENTURY AVENUE, BISMARCK ND 58503
Jason L Vollmer officer: Treasurer & Director of Cash 1200 WEST CENTURY AVENUE, BISMARCK ND 58503
David M Sparby director 1200 WEST CENTURY AVENUE, BISMARCK ND 58503
Margaret A Link officer: Chief Information Officer 1200 WEST CENTURY AVENUE, BISMARCK ND 58503
Dennis W Johnson director TMI BUSINESS DESIGHNS CORP, 50 3 AVENUE WAY, DICKINSON ND 58601
David C Barney officer: President & CEO - Knife River 1150 WEST CENTURY AVENUE, BISMARCK ND 58503
Stephanie A Barth officer: VP, CAO & Controller 1200 WEST CENTURY AVENUE, BISMARCK ND 58503