Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN) Shares Sold by Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C.

Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. lessened its holdings in shares of Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN - Free Report) by 36.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 241,242 shares of the utilities provider's stock after selling 138,642 shares during the quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. owned approximately 0.60% of Northwest Natural worth $9,544,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC raised its stake in shares of Northwest Natural by 11,111.1% in the fourth quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 1,009 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in Northwest Natural during the 3rd quarter worth about $61,000. KBC Group NV raised its position in Northwest Natural by 74.1% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,054 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $81,000 after purchasing an additional 874 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its stake in shares of Northwest Natural by 32.5% in the 4th quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,830 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $112,000 after buying an additional 694 shares during the period. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its position in shares of Northwest Natural by 13.5% during the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 2,906 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $115,000 after buying an additional 345 shares in the last quarter. 75.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Northwest Natural Stock Up 0.5 %

NYSE:NWN traded up $0.23 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $43.17. The stock had a trading volume of 195,759 shares, compared to its average volume of 244,631. The company has a market capitalization of $1.74 billion, a PE ratio of 20.36 and a beta of 0.56. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $42.04 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $41.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. Northwest Natural Holding has a twelve month low of $34.82 and a twelve month high of $44.38.

Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 28th. The utilities provider reported $1.41 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.42 by ($0.01). Northwest Natural had a return on equity of 5.89% and a net margin of 6.90%. The company had revenue of $370.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $395.05 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.21 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Northwest Natural Holding will post 2.33 EPS for the current year.

Northwest Natural Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be issued a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 30th. Northwest Natural's payout ratio is currently 96.55%.

Insider Transactions at Northwest Natural

In other Northwest Natural news, CEO David Hugo Anderson sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.97, for a total transaction of $307,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 130,242 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,336,014.74. This trade represents a 5.44 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP David A. Weber sold 2,183 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.46, for a total value of $92,690.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 255 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,827.30. The trade was a 89.54 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 25,192 shares of company stock worth $1,054,793. Insiders own 0.93% of the company's stock.

About Northwest Natural

Northwest Natural Holding Company, through its subsidiary, Northwest Natural Gas Company, provides regulated natural gas distribution services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the United States. The company operates a mist gas storage facility contracted to other utilities, third-party marketers, and electric generators; offers natural gas asset management services; and operates an appliance retail center.