MDU vs TREX Stock Comparison

TREX currently leads MDU in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 58 vs 51. The clearest difference is momentum, while MDU has the stronger value profile.

Market data as of Oct 22, 2026 market close· AIQ score gap 7 points
MDU
Utilities
vs
TREX
Basic Materials
MDU
MDU Resources Group, Inc.
Price
$19.12
Day move
+0.1%
AIQ Score
51/100
Best edge
Value
Sector
Utilities
TREX
Trex Company, Inc.
Leads
Price
$48.83
Day move
+0.08%
AIQ Score
58/100
Best edge
Momentum
Sector
Basic Materials

What is the main difference between MDU and TREX?

TREX leads the current stock comparison as Trex Company, Inc., with the clearest separation coming from momentum and the broader AIQ evidence mix.

AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison

MDU Resources Group, Inc. vs Trex Company, Inc.

Data as of Oct 22, 2026· market close· Cross-sector · Utilities vs Basic Materials · both in Construction & Materials· Coverage 66/66 fields· High confidence
AIQ VerdictFragileAIQ Comparison Conviction 4/10

TREX leads

TREX leads by 7 AIQ points, primarily on Momentum and Quality. Wall Street currently favors MDU on target upside.

Fragile: 3 of 6 evidence groups support TREX, and its current signal state is conflicted.

Evidence agreement: 3 of 6Comparison trend: Stable
MDU

MDU Resources Group, Inc.

AIQ Score
51/100
AIQ Edge Score
5/10
TREX

Trex Company, Inc.

Leads
AIQ Score
58/100
AIQ Edge Score
8/10

The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors TREX over MDU, 58 versus 51 as of Oct 22, 2026. TREX's advantage is driven primarily by stronger momentum and quality, while MDU holds the stronger value profile. TREX also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors MDU. 3 of 6 covered evidence groups favor TREX today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: only 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. TREX lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 7 points over 30 sessions.

Compare MDU Resources Group, Inc. and Trex Company, Inc. across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.

Currently unavailable

Performance over time

Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.

MDU
+85.7%
TREX
-50.1%

Total return comparison

Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested

MDU $18,568 · TREX $4,992

Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.

Compare MDU and TREX against another ticker

Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.

Basic: 2 symbols·Explorer: 3 symbols·Pro and Premium: 5 symbols·Your limit: 2

AIQ Factor Divergence

Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.

MDU advantage
0
TREX advantage
  • Momentum56 vs 80
    TREX +24
  • Quality43 vs 60
    TREX +17
  • Value51 vs 43
    MDU +8
  • Risk Resilience56 vs 50
    MDU +6

3 of 6 evidence groups favor TREX. TREX’s edge is concentrated in momentum and quality; MDU keeps a meaningful value edge.

What changed since the last close

Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.

MDU+3 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum +9

New signals

  • BB Upper Band Breach — bearish, volatility, short horizon
TREX+1 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum +5

New signals

  • Keltner Channel Breakout — bullish, volatility, short horizon
  • RSI Overbought — bearish, momentum, short horizon

TREX's lead narrowed by 2 AIQ points in the latest session.

Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — MDU and TREX both carry a full feed there.

The central trade-off

TREX (Trex Company, Inc.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by momentum and quality.

MDU (MDU Resources Group, Inc.): the counter-case, on value, risk resilience, valuation.

The AIQ Score and Wall Street therefore point in different directions on this pair.

Which one fits your objective

The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.

Balanced

TREX

TREX on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.

Growth

TREX

TREX on combined revenue and EPS growth.

Value

MDU

MDU on the peer-relative Value factor, by 8 points.

Momentum

TREX

TREX on the Momentum factor, by 24 points.

Lower downside

MDU

MDU on Risk Resilience, by 6 points.

Analyst upside

MDU

MDU on implied upside to the consensus price target.

AIQ vs Wall Street

The model and the Street disagree here: AIQ favors TREX, analyst targets favor MDU. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.

MeasureMDUTREXNote
Implied upside to target+30.8%+5.7%MDU has more room
Target dispersion0%+50.4%Lower is tighter analyst agreement
ConsensusBuyHoldContext, not a primary driver
Analysts covering110Higher coverage generally improves confidence

The two are measuring different things. The AIQ Score reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; analyst targets price forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something already priced in — it is worth resolving before acting on either.

Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.

AIQ Agreement Matrix

3 of 6 covered evidence groups favor TREX. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.

Evidence groupFavorsReading
AIQ ScoreTREX51 vs 58
FundamentalsTREXon balancerevenue growth -38.1% vs 21.7%; EPS growth -74.4% vs 3.4%; TTM ROE 6.9% vs 17.4%; gross margin 42.4% vs 38.2%; operating margin 17% vs 20.2% — TREX takes 4 of 5 decided legs, not all of them
ValuationMDUValue 51 vs 43
TechnicalsTREXPrice vs 50-day -1% vs 7.6%; vs 200-day -7.4% vs 14.3%
Risk ResilienceMDURisk Resilience 56 vs 50
Analyst expectationsMDUTarget upside 30.8% vs 5.7%

✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of MDU and TREX and are excluded from the count.

AIQ Decision Stability

Fragile

The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.

  • The AIQ gap is moderate at 7 points.
  • Only 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)
  • The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)

Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on TREX.

How the comparison changed

120 daily snapshots · Jun 21 – Oct 20

TREX lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 7 points over 30 sessions.

Jun 21MDU leads above the line · TREX leads belowOct 20
Today
TREX +7
51 vs 58
7 sessions ago
TREX +10
46 vs 56
30 sessions ago
TREX +6
43 vs 49
90 sessions ago
TREX +11
46 vs 57

The lead changed hands 2 times in this window, most recently on Jul 27 when TREX moved ahead of MDU.

AIQ Signal Divergence

Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.

MDUConflicted

1 bullish / 3 bearish, conflicted

Only MDU

  • Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (6.79%)
  • Downtrend Structure Active — bearish, trend, long horizon
TREXConflicted

5 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted

Only TREX

  • Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
  • Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (6.36%)
  • Keltner Channel Breakout — bullish, volatility, short horizon
  • RSI Overbought — bearish, momentum, short horizon
  • EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish — bullish, trend, medium horizon
  • Uptrend Structure Active — bullish, trend, long horizon

Both carry 2 more signals that do not separate them: BB Upper Band Breach, MACD Bullish Crossover.

TREX leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.

Price vs model alignment

Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.

MDUConfirmed strength

Price and the AIQ Score both moved up over the latest session (price +0.1%, AIQ +3 points).

TREXNo material change

Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +0.08%, AIQ +1 points).

What would flip this result

A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.

  1. 1MDU closes the Momentum gap — currently 24 points behind, the largest single contributor to TREX's edge.
  2. 2MDU's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
  3. 3TREX's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 5 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once.
  4. 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.

The full evidence

Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.

Fundamentals

TREX leads on balance
MetricMDUTREX
Revenue growth (YoY)-38.1%21.7%
EPS growth (YoY)-74.4%3.4%
Gross margin42.4%38.2%
Operating margin17%20.2%
Return on equity (TTM)6.9%17.4%
Debt to equity0.880.29

Performance

TREX leads 5 of 6 windows
MetricMDUTREX
1 week (5 sessions)2.5%8.3%
1 month (20 sessions)2.9%10.6%
3 months (63 sessions)-9.5%14%
6 months (126 sessions)-10.8%15.7%
Year to date-2.2%39.1%
1 year (252 sessions)0.5%-7.6%

Technicals

TREX has the stronger structure
MetricMDUTREX
RSI (14)66.375.3
ADX (14)24.514.7
Price vs 50-day-1%7.6%
Price vs 200-day-7.4%14.3%
Volatility (1M, annualized)14.1%31.5%

Risk

MDU is the more resilient
MetricMDUTREX
Beta0.181.5
Sharpe ratio-0.120.12
Sortino ratio-0.170.13
Max drawdown-19.3%-41.3%
Current drawdown-16.2%-4.9%
Annualized volatility20%49.8%
Value at risk (95%)-2.1%-3.4%

Straight answers

Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.

Which is better, MDU or TREX?

On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, TREX is the stronger of the two as of Oct 22, 2026, scoring 58 against MDU's 51. The edge comes from momentum and quality. MDU is not without a case — it holds the better value profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.

Is MDU or TREX the better buy right now?

TREX carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 22, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: only 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. Treat the lead as provisional.

Why does the AIQ Score favor TREX over MDU?

The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. TREX leads Momentum by 24 points; TREX leads Quality by 17 points; MDU leads Value by 8 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.

Which has more analyst upside, MDU or TREX?

Analyst price targets imply +30.8% upside for MDU and +5.7% for TREX, so the Street currently favors MDU. That points the opposite way to the AIQ Score, which favors TREX. The two are measuring different things: the model reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; the Street is pricing forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something the analysts have already priced — it is the single most useful row on this page to investigate. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.

Which is better value, MDU or TREX?

MDU is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. MDU on the peer-relative Value factor, by 8 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.

Which has stronger growth, MDU or TREX?

TREX on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.

Which has stronger momentum, MDU or TREX?

TREX on the Momentum factor, by 24 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.

Which is riskier, MDU or TREX?

MDU is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. MDU on Risk Resilience, by 6 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.

Is MDU more profitable than TREX?

The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 42.4% vs 38.2%; operating margin 17% vs 20.2%; ttm roe 6.9% vs 17.4%. MDU leads on one measure and TREX on two measures, and there is no single profitability composite that resolves the split — which of the two reads as "more profitable" depends on whether you weight pricing power or operating leverage.

Is TREX's lead over MDU getting stronger or weaker?

TREX lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 7 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-21 and 2026-10-20. The lead has changed hands 2 times in that window, most recently on 2026-07-27, when TREX moved ahead of MDU.

What would change the MDU vs TREX verdict?

The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: MDU closes the Momentum gap — currently 24 points behind, the largest single contributor to TREX's edge; MDU's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it; TREX's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 5 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.

What do the current signals say about MDU and TREX?

MDU: 1 bullish / 3 bearish, conflicted. TREX: 5 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on MDU is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On TREX it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).

Compare MDU and TREX with others

Continue your research

This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.

How this comparison is scored

The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.

The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.

How to use side-by-side comparison →

This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.