NatWest Group (LON:NWG) Sets New 52-Week High - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• NatWest Group shares reached a new 52-week high at GBX 583 ($7.77) during trading, showing strong market activity with over 517 million shares exchanged.
• Multiple research firms have given positive ratings for NatWest Group, with Deutsche Bank setting a price target of GBX 600 and JPMorgan raising theirs to GBX 700.
• Insider transactions revealed that key insiders are actively trading the stock, with Katie Murray selling 18,055 shares while Richard Haythornthwait purchased 2,268 shares.

NatWest Group plc (LON:NWG - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as GBX 583 ($7.77) and last traded at GBX 564.40 ($7.52), with a volume of 517641500 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 545.60 ($7.27).

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on NWG. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a GBX 600 price target on shares of NatWest Group in a research note on Monday, July 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on NatWest Group from GBX 475 to GBX 650 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of NatWest Group from GBX 610 to GBX 700 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 9th. Shore Capital reiterated a "hold" rating and set a GBX 495 target price on shares of NatWest Group in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of NatWest Group from GBX 595 to GBX 620 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 9th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of GBX 613.33.

NatWest Group Trading Up 2.0%

The stock's 50-day moving average is GBX 533.02 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 509.72. The stock has a market cap of £44.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 1.28.

NatWest Group (LON:NWG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, July 25th. The company reported GBX 30.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. NatWest Group had a net margin of 18.21% and a return on equity of 13.29%. On average, equities analysts forecast that NatWest Group plc will post 45.9724712 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at NatWest Group

In related news, insider Katie Murray sold 18,055 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 516, for a total value of £93,163.80. Also, insider Richard Haythornthwait bought 2,268 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 1st. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 525 per share, with a total value of £11,907. Insiders have purchased a total of 6,541 shares of company stock worth $3,439,815 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.19% of the company's stock.

About NatWest Group

We're a UK-focussed bank serving over 20 million customers, with businesses across retail, commercial and private banking markets. With a brand history stretching back nearly 300 years, we have our roots in the communities we serve across every nation and region of the UK. Our brands include NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank and Coutts.

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