IFP Advisors Inc Has $1.31 Million Stock Holdings in NiSource, Inc $NI

Key Points

• IFP Advisors Inc increased its NiSource stake by 770.9% in the fourth quarter, holding 31,354 shares worth about $1.31 million.
• Analysts remain generally positive on NiSource, with an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $50.33, though one firm recently downgraded the stock to sell.
• NiSource reported quarterly EPS of $1.06, matching estimates, and announced a $0.30 quarterly dividend payable Aug. 20, implying a 2.5% annual yield.

IFP Advisors Inc raised its stake in shares of NiSource, Inc (NYSE:NI - Free Report) by 770.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 31,354 shares of the utilities provider's stock after purchasing an additional 27,754 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc's holdings in NiSource were worth $1,309,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Tower Bridge Advisors grew its holdings in NiSource by 1.1% during the third quarter. Tower Bridge Advisors now owns 21,132 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $915,000 after purchasing an additional 232 shares during the last quarter. Choreo LLC grew its holdings in NiSource by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 8,769 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $369,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC grew its holdings in NiSource by 1.6% during the third quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 14,951 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $647,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC grew its holdings in NiSource by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC now owns 15,247 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $637,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Prosperity Consulting Group LLC boosted its position in shares of NiSource by 1.1% in the third quarter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC now owns 23,565 shares of the utilities provider's stock valued at $1,020,000 after acquiring an additional 246 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.64% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on NI. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on NiSource from $51.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. KeyCorp began coverage on NiSource in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $52.00 price objective for the company. Wall Street Zen cut NiSource from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. Barclays increased their price objective on NiSource from $45.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on NiSource from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $50.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Melody Birmingham sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.19, for a total value of $471,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 117,899 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,563,653.81. This trade represents a 7.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.37% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

NiSource Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NI stock opened at $47.90 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $22.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.82 and a beta of 0.57. NiSource, Inc has a one year low of $38.36 and a one year high of $48.98. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $47.19 and a 200 day moving average price of $44.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.56.

NiSource (NYSE:NI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.06. The firm had revenue of $2.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.52 billion. NiSource had a return on equity of 8.31% and a net margin of 14.15%.During the same period last year, the business earned $0.85 earnings per share. NiSource has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.020-2.070 EPS. Analysts predict that NiSource, Inc will post 2.05 earnings per share for the current year.

NiSource Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 20th. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st will be given a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 31st. NiSource's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 59.70%.

NiSource Company Profile

NiSource, Inc NYSE: NI is a publicly traded energy holding company headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana, that primarily owns and operates regulated local gas and electric utilities in the United States. Through its operating subsidiaries, the company delivers natural gas and electricity to residential, commercial and industrial customers and provides the associated distribution and transmission services that keep local energy systems functioning.

The company's core activities include natural gas distribution, electric transmission and distribution, system operations, maintenance and emergency response.

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