NatWest Group (NYSE:NWG) Shares Gap Down - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• NatWest Group's shares gapped down from a closing price of $14.33 to open at $13.80, closing at $13.89 with a trading volume of 564,035 shares.
• Analyst ratings have shifted, with Zacks Research downgrading the stock from "strong-buy" to "hold" and BNP Paribas changing its rating from "hold" to "strong sell."
• NatWest recently reported a quarterly EPS of $0.41, exceeding estimates of $0.37, alongside a dividend payout of $0.255 per share, reflecting a yield of 390.0%.

NatWest Group plc (NYSE:NWG - Get Free Report) shares gapped down before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $14.33, but opened at $13.80. NatWest Group shares last traded at $13.89, with a volume of 564,035 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. BNP Paribas downgraded shares of NatWest Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Friday, September 5th. BNP Paribas Exane downgraded shares of NatWest Group from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating in a research report on Friday, September 5th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of NatWest Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, August 18th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold".

NatWest Group Stock Performance

The firm's 50-day moving average price is $14.24 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $13.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $56.46 billion, a PE ratio of 9.08, a P/E/G ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14.

NatWest Group (NYSE:NWG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 25th. The company reported $0.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $5.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.06 billion. NatWest Group had a net margin of 16.84% and a return on equity of 11.99%. As a group, research analysts predict that NatWest Group plc will post 1.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

NatWest Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 12th. Investors of record on Friday, August 8th were issued a dividend of $0.255 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 390.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 8th. NatWest Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.26%.

Institutional Trading of NatWest Group

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in NatWest Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of NatWest Group by 374.5% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 2,102 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 1,659 shares during the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new stake in shares of NatWest Group in the first quarter worth $29,000. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of NatWest Group in the first quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Wayfinding Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NatWest Group in the first quarter worth $39,000. 1.27% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

NatWest Group Company Profile

NatWest Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides banking and financial products and services to personal, commercial, corporate, and institutional customers in the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates through Retail Banking, Private Banking, and Commercial & Institutional segments.