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Side-by-side financial comparison of MDU RESOURCES GROUP INC (MDU) and NATIONAL HEALTHCARE CORP (NHC). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

MDU RESOURCES GROUP INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($522.6M vs $386.5M, roughly 1.4× NATIONAL HEALTHCARE CORP). MDU RESOURCES GROUP INC runs the higher net margin — 14.6% vs 6.4%, a 8.2% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, NATIONAL HEALTHCARE CORP posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (4.6% vs -1.6%). NATIONAL HEALTHCARE CORP produced more free cash flow last quarter ($6.4M vs $-336.0M). Over the past eight quarters, NATIONAL HEALTHCARE CORP's revenue compounded faster (14.0% CAGR vs -5.7%).

MDU Resources Group, Inc. is a U.S.-based corporation supplying products and services to regulated energy delivery and utilities related construction materials and services businesses. It is headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota, and operates in 48 states.

HCA Healthcare, Inc. is an American global for-profit operator of health care facilities that was founded in 1968. It is based in Nashville, Tennessee, and, as of May 2020, owned and operated 186 hospitals and approximately 2,400 sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding emergency rooms, urgent care centers and physician clinics in 20 states and the United Kingdom. As of 2024, HCA Healthcare is ranked #61 on the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by to...

MDU vs NHC — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
MDU
MDU
1.4× larger
MDU
$522.6M
$386.5M
NHC
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
NHC
NHC
+6.2% gap
NHC
4.6%
-1.6%
MDU
Higher net margin
MDU
MDU
8.2% more per $
MDU
14.6%
6.4%
NHC
More free cash flow
NHC
NHC
$342.4M more FCF
NHC
$6.4M
$-336.0M
MDU
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
NHC
NHC
Annualised
NHC
14.0%
-5.7%
MDU

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
MDU
MDU
NHC
NHC
Revenue
$522.6M
$386.5M
Net Profit
$76.3M
$24.8M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
20.5%
8.6%
Net Margin
14.6%
6.4%
Revenue YoY
-1.6%
4.6%
Net Profit YoY
38.4%
308.6%
EPS (diluted)
$0.37
$1.58

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
MDU
MDU
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
$522.6M
$386.5M
Q3 25
$313.6M
$382.7M
Q2 25
$348.7M
$374.9M
Q1 25
$678.0M
$373.7M
Q4 24
$531.0M
$369.4M
Q3 24
$290.7M
$340.2M
Q2 24
$343.1M
$300.7M
Q1 24
$588.2M
$297.2M
Net Profit
MDU
MDU
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
$76.3M
$24.8M
Q3 25
$18.3M
$39.2M
Q2 25
$13.8M
$23.7M
Q1 25
$82.0M
$32.2M
Q4 24
$55.2M
$6.1M
Q3 24
$64.6M
$42.8M
Q2 24
$60.4M
$26.8M
Q1 24
$100.9M
$26.2M
Operating Margin
MDU
MDU
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
20.5%
8.6%
Q3 25
12.7%
7.9%
Q2 25
8.7%
9.1%
Q1 25
16.6%
8.2%
Q4 24
17.8%
7.8%
Q3 24
12.0%
6.7%
Q2 24
11.5%
7.5%
Q1 24
16.4%
5.3%
Net Margin
MDU
MDU
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
14.6%
6.4%
Q3 25
5.8%
10.3%
Q2 25
4.0%
6.3%
Q1 25
12.1%
8.6%
Q4 24
10.4%
1.6%
Q3 24
22.2%
12.6%
Q2 24
17.6%
8.9%
Q1 24
17.2%
8.8%
EPS (diluted)
MDU
MDU
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
$0.37
$1.58
Q3 25
$0.09
$2.50
Q2 25
$0.07
$1.52
Q1 25
$0.40
$2.07
Q4 24
$0.26
$0.38
Q3 24
$0.32
$2.73
Q2 24
$0.30
$1.73
Q1 24
$0.49
$1.69

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
MDU
MDU
NHC
NHC
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$28.2M
$92.8M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$2.7B
$40.0M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$2.8B
$1.1B
Total Assets
$7.6B
$1.5B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.97×
0.04×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
MDU
MDU
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
$28.2M
$92.8M
Q3 25
$75.9M
$130.6M
Q2 25
$58.8M
$111.0M
Q1 25
$59.5M
$90.4M
Q4 24
$66.9M
$76.1M
Q3 24
$88.3M
$84.8M
Q2 24
$78.8M
$136.2M
Q1 24
$72.7M
$94.0M
Total Debt
MDU
MDU
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
$2.7B
$40.0M
Q3 25
$2.4B
$73.1M
Q2 25
$2.2B
$110.0M
Q1 25
$2.2B
$134.0M
Q4 24
$2.3B
$137.0M
Q3 24
$2.3B
$147.0M
Q2 24
$2.3B
Q1 24
$2.3B
Stockholders' Equity
MDU
MDU
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
$2.8B
$1.1B
Q3 25
$2.7B
$1.1B
Q2 25
$2.7B
$1.0B
Q1 25
$2.7B
$1.0B
Q4 24
$2.7B
$980.2M
Q3 24
$3.1B
$983.5M
Q2 24
$3.0B
$945.8M
Q1 24
$3.0B
$924.7M
Total Assets
MDU
MDU
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
$7.6B
$1.5B
Q3 25
$7.2B
$1.6B
Q2 25
$6.9B
$1.6B
Q1 25
$7.0B
$1.5B
Q4 24
$7.0B
$1.5B
Q3 24
$8.2B
$1.6B
Q2 24
$8.0B
$1.3B
Q1 24
$7.8B
$1.3B
Debt / Equity
MDU
MDU
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
0.97×
0.04×
Q3 25
0.86×
0.07×
Q2 25
0.80×
0.11×
Q1 25
0.80×
0.13×
Q4 24
0.85×
0.14×
Q3 24
0.76×
0.15×
Q2 24
0.75×
Q1 24
0.76×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
MDU
MDU
NHC
NHC
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$80.6M
$16.8M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-336.0M
$6.4M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-64.3%
1.7%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
79.7%
2.7%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.06×
0.68×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$-297.0M
$148.6M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
MDU
MDU
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
$80.6M
$16.8M
Q3 25
$57.9M
$66.2M
Q2 25
$117.4M
$62.8M
Q1 25
$217.5M
$39.3M
Q4 24
$60.5M
$12.8M
Q3 24
$140.2M
$34.2M
Q2 24
$136.5M
$50.7M
Q1 24
$165.1M
$9.6M
Free Cash Flow
MDU
MDU
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
$-336.0M
$6.4M
Q3 25
$-121.9M
$56.5M
Q2 25
$36.5M
$52.6M
Q1 25
$124.4M
$33.1M
Q4 24
$-95.8M
$4.6M
Q3 24
$673.0K
$28.6M
Q2 24
$26.5M
$42.8M
Q1 24
$48.1M
$3.7M
FCF Margin
MDU
MDU
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
-64.3%
1.7%
Q3 25
-38.9%
14.8%
Q2 25
10.5%
14.0%
Q1 25
18.4%
8.9%
Q4 24
-18.0%
1.3%
Q3 24
0.2%
8.4%
Q2 24
7.7%
14.2%
Q1 24
8.2%
1.2%
Capex Intensity
MDU
MDU
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
79.7%
2.7%
Q3 25
57.3%
2.5%
Q2 25
23.2%
2.7%
Q1 25
13.7%
1.6%
Q4 24
29.4%
2.2%
Q3 24
48.0%
1.7%
Q2 24
32.0%
2.6%
Q1 24
19.9%
2.0%
Cash Conversion
MDU
MDU
NHC
NHC
Q4 25
1.06×
0.68×
Q3 25
3.16×
1.69×
Q2 25
8.52×
2.65×
Q1 25
2.65×
1.22×
Q4 24
1.10×
2.10×
Q3 24
2.17×
0.80×
Q2 24
2.26×
1.89×
Q1 24
1.64×
0.37×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

MDU
MDU

Natural Gas Distribution$382.8M73%
Commercial Utility Sales$42.7M8%
Residential Utility Sales$33.7M6%
Pipelineand Midstream$31.1M6%
Natural Gas Transportation$17.2M3%
Industrial Utility Sales$10.1M2%
Natural Gas Storage$6.4M1%
Other Utility Sales$1.9M0%

NHC
NHC

Inpatient Services Segment$333.7M86%
Homecare Services Segment$40.0M10%
Other$11.2M3%
National$1.6M0%

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