Envestnet Asset Management Inc. Invests $252,000 in Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN)

Envestnet Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund purchased 6,365 shares of the utilities provider's stock, valued at approximately $252,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of Northwest Natural by 47.6% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 384,324 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $15,688,000 after acquiring an additional 123,961 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its holdings in Northwest Natural by 26.4% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 125,032 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $4,959,000 after purchasing an additional 26,152 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Northwest Natural by 8.1% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 615,126 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $24,334,000 after acquiring an additional 46,135 shares during the period. Barclays PLC increased its position in Northwest Natural by 351.9% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 63,703 shares of the utilities provider's stock worth $2,601,000 after acquiring an additional 49,606 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in Northwest Natural during the 4th quarter worth $791,000. 75.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Northwest Natural from $45.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director David Hugo Anderson sold 7,500 shares of Northwest Natural stock in a transaction on Monday, April 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.00, for a total transaction of $322,500.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 109,882 shares in the company, valued at $4,724,926. This trade represents a 6.39% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 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 transaction, the vice president now owns 255 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,827.30. This trade represents a 89.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 25,192 shares of company stock worth $1,054,793. 0.93% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Northwest Natural Stock Performance

NWN stock traded down $0.32 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $40.90. The company's stock had a trading volume of 41,455 shares, compared to its average volume of 259,833. Northwest Natural Holding has a 1 year low of $34.82 and a 1 year high of $44.38. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $42.22 and its 200 day moving average price is $41.27. The stock has a market cap of $1.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.29 and a beta of 0.56.

Northwest Natural (NYSE:NWN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $2.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.19. Northwest Natural had a return on equity of 5.89% and a net margin of 6.90%. The company had revenue of $494.28 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $464.65 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.69 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 14.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Northwest Natural Holding will post 2.33 EPS for the current year.

Northwest Natural Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be given a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 30th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.79%. Northwest Natural's dividend payout ratio is 77.78%.

Northwest Natural Profile

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.