GAMMA Investing LLC Has $3.08 Million Stock Holdings in Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN)

GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in Northwest Natural Holding (NYSE:NWN - Free Report) by 5,225.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 72,154 shares of the utilities provider's stock after acquiring an additional 70,799 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC owned 0.18% of Northwest Natural worth $3,082,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in NWN. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Northwest Natural by 8.1% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 615,126 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $24,334,000 after purchasing an additional 46,135 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC raised its position in Northwest Natural by 351.9% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 63,703 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $2,601,000 after purchasing an additional 49,606 shares during the last quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Northwest Natural in the 4th quarter valued at $186,000. Atria Investments Inc bought a new position in Northwest Natural in the 4th quarter valued at $270,000. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised 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 acquiring an additional 345 shares during the last quarter. 75.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on NWN. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Northwest Natural from $45.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Northwest Natural from $45.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Northwest Natural

In related news, VP David A. Weber sold 2,183 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.46, for a total transaction of $92,690.18. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 255 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,827.30. This represents a 89.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director David Hugo Anderson sold 7,591 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.99, for a total value of $311,155.09. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 102,291 shares in the company, valued at $4,192,908.09. This represents a 6.91% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 24,774 shares of company stock worth $1,037,295 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.84% of the company's stock.

Northwest Natural Trading Down 1.4%

NYSE NWN traded down $0.58 on Friday, reaching $39.70. The company had a trading volume of 335,235 shares, compared to its average volume of 250,173. The stock's 50 day moving average is $41.68 and its 200-day moving average is $41.18. The stock has a market cap of $1.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.73 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. Northwest Natural Holding has a 52 week low of $34.82 and a 52 week high of $44.38.

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 for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $494.28 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $464.65 million. Northwest Natural had a return on equity of 5.89% and a net margin of 6.90%. Northwest Natural's revenue for the quarter was up 14.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.69 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Northwest Natural Holding will post 2.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Northwest Natural Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 30th were given a dividend of $0.49 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 30th. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.94%. Northwest Natural's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 77.78%.

Northwest Natural Company 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.