MDU Resources Group Inc (MDU)

Operating profit margin

		Dec 31, 2023	Sep 30, 2023	Jun 30, 2023	Mar 31, 2023	Dec 31, 2022	Sep 30, 2022	Jun 30, 2022	Mar 31, 2022	Dec 31, 2021	Sep 30, 2021	Jun 30, 2021	Mar 31, 2021	Dec 31, 2020	Sep 30, 2020	Jun 30, 2020	Mar 31, 2020	Dec 31, 2019	Sep 30, 2019	Jun 30, 2019	Mar 31, 2019
Operating income (ttm)	US$ in thousands	381,928	584,057	560,455	540,929	533,800	313,046	441,213	516,397	534,218	557,912	572,454	573,019	544,925	529,256	515,015	474,072	481,220	469,350	419,884	396,565
Revenue (ttm)	US$ in thousands	4,964,590	7,683,780	7,685,470	7,604,090	7,283,310	4,871,920	5,455,440	5,869,350	5,680,730	5,622,770	5,624,050	5,563,320	5,532,750	5,525,800	5,502,310	5,442,950	5,336,770	5,168,440	4,885,430	4,646,460
Operating profit margin		7.69%	7.60%	7.29%	7.11%	7.33%	6.43%	8.09%	8.80%	9.40%	9.92%	10.18%	10.30%	9.85%	9.58%	9.36%	8.71%	9.02%	9.08%	8.59%	8.53%

December 31, 2023 calculation

Operating profit margin = Operating income (ttm) ÷ Revenue (ttm)
= $381,928K ÷ $4,964,590K
= 7.69%

The operating profit margin of MDU Resources Group Inc has exhibited some variation over the past eight quarters. In Q4 2023, the operating profit margin increased to 9.15% from 7.34% in the previous quarter (Q3 2023). This improvement indicates that the company was able to generate more profit from its operations relative to its revenues during this period.

While the operating profit margin has shown fluctuations in recent quarters, it has generally remained within a relatively stable range, hovering between 7.34% and 9.15%. This suggests that MDU Resources Group Inc has been able to effectively manage its operating expenses and maintain profitability levels during the periods analyzed.

The company's performance in terms of operating profit margin in Q4 2023 was slightly higher than the same period in the previous year (Q4 2022), where it stood at 8.23%. This uptick indicates a potential improvement in operational efficiency and profitability over the comparative year-on-year period.

Overall, the trend of the operating profit margin for MDU Resources Group Inc reflects a reasonably stable financial performance with some fluctuations observed in recent quarters, but showing a positive trend in Q4 2023. Continued monitoring of the operating profit margin will be essential to assess the company's ability to sustain and potentially improve its operational profitability in the future.