Northern Trust Corporation (NTRS) - What Are Analysts Thinking About This Stock?

Key Points

• Analysts rate Northern Trust “Hold” overall: Of 15 firms, 11 recommend holding, while two recommend buying and two selling; the average 12-month price target is $181.03.
• Quarterly results exceeded expectations: Northern Trust reported EPS of $3.40 versus estimates of $2.87, with revenue of $2.30 billion, up 13.4% year over year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.88 per share, equivalent to an annualized yield of about 2.0%.

Northern Trust Corporation (NASDAQ:NTRS - Get Free Report) has received a consensus rating of "Hold" from the fifteen ratings firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eleven have given a hold recommendation and two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $181.03.

Several research firms have commented on NTRS. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Northern Trust from $189.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Capital One Financial set a $190.00 price objective on shares of Northern Trust in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded shares of Northern Trust from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and increased their target price for the company from $159.00 to $178.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Evercore lowered their target price on shares of Northern Trust from $183.00 to $179.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. Finally, TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Northern Trust in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $175.00 price objective on the stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Robert Moritz, Jr. bought 236 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 30th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $169.07 per share, with a total value of $39,900.52. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,636 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,460,088.52. The trade was a 2.81% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Thomas South sold 1,800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $184.90, for a total transaction of $332,820.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 92,917 shares in the company, valued at $17,180,353.30. The trade was a 1.90% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 22,706 shares of company stock worth $3,850,282. Corporate insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Northern Trust

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Northern Trust by 2.6% during the third quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 2,481 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $420,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in Northern Trust by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 3,379 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $572,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Greenleaf Trust increased its holdings in Northern Trust by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 12,575 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $2,186,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Compound Planning Inc. grew its holdings in Northern Trust by 4.7% during the first quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 1,770 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $247,000 after buying an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. boosted its holdings in Northern Trust by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 3,405 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $577,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.19% of the company's stock.

Northern Trust Trading Up 0.3%

NTRS stock traded up $0.57 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $178.24. 790,799 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,265,011. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.97, a P/E/G ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.21. Northern Trust has a 52-week low of $121.53 and a 52-week high of $195.78. The business has a 50 day moving average of $173.48 and a 200-day moving average of $166.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.61.

Northern Trust (NASDAQ:NTRS - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 21st. The asset manager reported $3.40 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.87 by $0.53. The firm had revenue of $2.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.26 billion. Northern Trust had a return on equity of 17.97% and a net margin of 15.86%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.29 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Northern Trust will post 12.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Northern Trust Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 1st. Investors of record on Friday, December 4th will be paid a $0.88 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 4th. This represents a $3.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Northern Trust's dividend payout ratio is 27.59%.

About Northern Trust

Northern Trust Corporation is a financial services company headquartered in Chicago. Founded in 1889, it provides services to institutions, corporations, governments, and individuals and families. The company's businesses include asset servicing, asset management, wealth management, and banking. Its services include investment management, custody and administration, fiduciary services, banking, and financial planning. Northern Trust serves clients in the United States and internationally, with operations across multiple regions.

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